text
stringlengths 1
57.6k
|
|---|
ANDREI'S POVI don't know what really happened after. I didn't know where I am. But the place... it's so beautiful.....It's so peaceful. I wandered around and everything is just so..... mystical. I found a tree that has fruits and climbed to get an apple.As I was about to eat it, I heard someone crying and calling my name...."That voice.... sounds familiar"Andrei......."Yes? Is someone out there?"Andrei, I need you....."Who are you? How did you know my name?!"I continued to walk further, still hearing the familiar voice. I didn't know where I was going and then there was a huge white screen before my eyes.I walked a few steps away, then the screen came to life..... And I wasn't expecting to see her crying......"Lily....."Andrei, please wake up....."Lily, I'm awake....Hey! I'm right here....Look at me, Lily!"I kept calling her name but she can't hear me. I looked around to find a way come back, but no luck. I was about to give up and cried. I touched the screen and my hand just went through it."What's happening?"I touched the screen again, but my hand still went through it. I take a look at it again to see Lily. I smiled to myself....."I'm coming back, baby..... Just wait for me...." I entered the screen and the light shined brighter. When I opened my eyes, I saw a fluorescent lamp above me and looked to my side....."L-lily....""Andrei!"Lily hugged me tightly. I missed her so much."L-lily"After the doctor checked me everything is fine. The whole group cheered me up and May came to visit me. I didn't know Lily and her became friends.After sometime, everyone got out the room and there's just me and Lily alone.....A/N: I apologize for the late released everyone 😩, I got busy with my school activities 🥺. Anyways, just a few chapters and Loving You Had Consequences will end. Stay tuned everyone (≧▽≦), thank you for supporting my first novel. Love you (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤ |
"Yes, who is it?"Lily's voice is trembling. She is not familiar of the man's figure. A few seconds later, the man showed up. He has great muscles and also very handsome."Who are you? How did you know my name?""Hey, relax. I just wanna talk to you. By the way, my name is Troy"They both shake hands."If you don't mind, can I invite you to have a coffee? I really want to talk to you, it's kinda private""Oh, okay"They walked to the nearby café and sat down by the window."Uhm, if you don't mind me asking, how did you know my name?""You don't have to worry about me knowing your name. I also know Andrei. You see, he's been dating my friend for almost a year now.."Troy took out his phone from his pocket and showed Lily a picture of May and Andrei. She felt her heart ached cause they look so good with each other. She also thinks that she's just a nuisance in their relationship."Are you familiar with this girl?""Yeah, I saw her and Andrei kissing. She even sent me a picture of them while on the bed""She planned it all from the very first. You see, Andrei confessed his feelings to her 11 months ago. But she can't trust him due to the trauma that her ex gave her""So she decided to make Andrei date me to prove his love to her?""You're right. I really want her to stop Andrei from dating you cause maybe he'll fall in love with you and she'll hurt herself again"Lily thought for a moment. She can really feel Troy."I know that you just want to protect her but what she did to me wasn't right"There was a long moment of silence between the two, before Lily finally spoke."What's her name?""May... she's my childhood best friend""Do you like her?"Troy stared at Lily but changed his glance after realizing something."I do, but I'm just a friend to her. I have no place in her heart""I can totally feel you. I know that Andrei is still pretending until now and he really got me""I don't think he's still pretending""How can you say so?""What? Can't you see it?""Huh?""Nevermind"After talking about few more things, both of them bid goodbye to each other. |
There was a moment of silence and everyone stared at Lily."Come on, guys! Don't be like this. Do you think he'll be happy if you keep crying? Cheer up!"She inhaled deeply."Do you want to visit him after school?"Everyone smiled at her. They want to see their friend.~FAST FORWARD~After school, everyone in the club started packing their things and went with Lily to the hospital.When they entered the room, Andrei's parents are talking to the doctor.After the doctor left, Lily walked to the parents with a concerned look."May I know what the doctor said?""He said that Andrei might be in coma for 2-3 weeks. All we need is patience and we'll pray for his health.She looked at the sleeping Andrei. The other guy's surrounded the bed watching him."Guys, I'll just go outside"She left and closed the door gently. She went to the nearby park and sat on the bench.While sitting there, someone sat with her. She was shocked when she looked at the girl. It's May....."Hey....""H-hey....""I'm sorry....""What for?""For ruining your relationship with Andrei.... You see, I've been seeing the both of you together and the atmosphere is just filled with love and happiness. I can see the sparkles in his eyes whenever he sees you""..........""And by witnessing that, all those bad memories are coming back to me, provoking me to make a revenge for what he did to me...""Did Andrei hurt you?""No, haha. My ex did. He'd often lie to me, saying that he's busy but the truth is that he's seeing another girl behind my back....""That's awful...""You're right. I even caught him making out with another girl in his room hehe"May laughed bitterly. A tear flowed from her eyes but she wiped it right away."And..... maybe I was just trying to revenge for what he did to me, that's why I'm keeping you away from Andrei..... I'm so sorry...."And by that time, she cried even harder. Lily is trying to calm her down at the same time trying not to cry."You aren't supposed to be feeling what I felt in the past..... It's just that it's all coming back to me, making me question myself "Where did I lack? Why did I have to experience this? I love him sincerely, but why can't he feel it?.... Why is this so hard?....""Calm down now. No one wants this to happen..."May wiped her tears and smiled to Lily."You're so pure. I can totally feel your sincerity in your words. I feel guilty. Haha"They chuckled."I don't know why, but I can't feel anger to anyone. Whenever I feel mad, I just cry myself silently and it just fades....""You're into self comfort?""Maybe"They both laughed."Have you visited him?""Yeah, I told his parents I'm his classmate and the teacher wanted me to check up on him. Guess I'm a great lier"Lily looked down. She suddenly remembered Troy."Uh...Do you know Troy?""Yeah, he's my childhood best friend""Well, he told me about you. And he told me that he lik-"Lily holds her mouth to prevent saying anything. May looked so confused."What?""Ummm.. it's a secret...""Oh...."There was a moment of silence between the two. After a few minutes, May decided to go already."Uhm, I need to go now cause my friend might be waiting for me. Bye""Bye - bye, take care..."After May left, Lily felt relieved. She thought that she's very spoiled and don't have manners but it turns out that she's also a victim of love...
"Loving someone can really hurt us sometimes...." |
*TIME SKIP*Lily has been absent for the past three days. Andrei tried to contact her but he can't call nor text her. He also went to Lily's house but no one seems to be hearing his knocks.This time he tried calling her for the 15th time but it's still unavailable."Where is she? She doesn't call and text me anymore. I missed her so much..."Andrei is still waiting at the bus stop and calling Lily again when someone hugged him from the back."Andrei 😊""Lily!"Andrei immediately hugged her tightly, that he doesn't want to ever let go."Where have you been?! You made me worried so much""I'm fine, Andrei. Sorry if I didn't tell you sooner. It was really urgent, so I didn't have time to tell you""I understand, but please don't do this again, okay??""Okay okay. Uhm, Andrei?""Yes?""Can I sleep in your house? I want to cuddle 😊""Sure, you can"Even if he's still unsure, three days seems like forever without seeing the one you love. He'll just explain everything to his parents.*TIME SKIP*When they arrived at Andrei's home, they entered and saw his parents on the living room."Mom, Dad...""Hey, honey-oh...""Andrei, you're hom-"His parents didn't continue their sentences when they saw Lily."Uhm.. hello. My name is-""Oh my god! Are you an artist? You're so beautiful!""I looked a lot like you when I was your age""Stop lying Sierra!""What did you say, Robert?!!🙂""Nothing 😅""Mom, Dad. She's going to stay here for a night. Is it okay?""Oh, sure! I'll prepare the guest room-""Wait! She's going to sleep in....my room 😐"The parents stopped for a moment, then they looked at Lily."Hehe😅...."Sierra stared at Andrei and looked down. She noticed that both of their hands are intertwined."Mom, I will explain-""Is she your girlfriend?""Umm.. well, I-"*What's your name, young lady?""L-lily..."Both parents looked at each other. Their eyes widened with shock. Lily's name ringed a bell."So if you're name is Lily then.... Are you ugly Lily?""Huh? How did you know my nickname?""Oh really?! It's your nick- wait, what?""Dad, I-i can explain this. You see-""Oh my god, Andrei. Why am I crying right now?""Sierra, calm down....""I just couldn't believe that Andrei had chosen an angel to be the love of his life. I'm sorry, I'm just so happy for the both of you"Lily and Andrei looked at each other and to the parents."Are you kidding? Your son hide everything from you and you're not going to shout at me? I thought you're gonna be angry""Of course not! You're not a child anymore. You can make decisions for yourself now"Robert smiles to his son and gave him a hug. Lily is just watching them with a smile on her face.After the dinner, Lily and Andrei was in the room, preparing to sleep. He slipped his arms around Lily's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder."Lily""Hmm?""I love you""I love you too, Andrei"Andrei noticed that her voice was so sad."Are you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine. Let's sleep now"Both of them hopped on the bed and slept.(A/N: They're childhood friends but Andrei's parents never meet Lily. In 2nd grade Lily and her family need to move house because of her mother's work. She grew up in a broken family and her mother was the one working for them. Their father still giving them money but he already have another family. So after Lily transferred, the both of them doesn't have contact of each other. But in college they met again...) |
MAY'S POVMay is sitting on the bench near the swimming pool. She was eating a burger when Troy approached her."Hey, Boss!""Wassup"They did their handshake and sat down."I have something to tell you""Spill the tea""I think the club activities is already done with their usual routine. Because I saw some members mopping the floor"She looked at her watch. It's already 5 pm. She stood and carried her bag."I'll go first. Andrei's gonna come over to my house. I need to get there first"May began to walk when Troy held her hand.She turned back around and faced the guy."What?""Do you still want Andrei to continue the dare? You love him, right?""What do you mean?""I think they got closer to each other. I didn't mean to let you down but-""He can love whoever he's in love with. It's my fault if he's going to choose Lily over me"Then she walked away, leaving the guy behind.While walking, May's phone notified a text message.From: Andrei"May, I'm not going to come over today. My Mom told me to get home early or else she'll beat me"She replied."It's fine. Are you still in the school?"May didn't receive any replies so she went back to the school.When she's near in the school, she saw Lily and Andrei. She hid behind a wall and peeked her head. She can barely hear their conversation but..."He's smiling..."She clutched her chest to minimize the pain. She never saw him that happy when he's with her. Then she heard Lily shouting at her lover while hitting him playfully. She was on the back of Andrei."What the fuck, Andrei! You're such a pervert!""Fine, fine. HAHAHA! Fuck, my stomach hurts! HAHAHA"Andrei laughed so hard. His smile is killing May softly. She didn't know why he's giving Lily a piggyback ride.Then they walked away. They're still laughing. After seeing that, the tears that she's been holding for a few moments begin flowing down on her face."Why am I crying?! You're so dumb, May"Then she walked away from her hiding spot while wiping her face.*I can't blame him. I'm the one who told him to date someone before me to prove his love. And now, he's falling for that person....*She's walking to Cristine's house, her best friend.May knocked on the door and her friend opened it. |
~FLASHBACK~Andrei was in front of the door but he can't open it. He's too nervous.He is a transferee here. His family is new to the neighborhood, so he doesn't know anyone here. Everything is new to him. Then someone suddenly talk to him."Why are you shaking?"Andrei jumped and turned around. He didn't notice someone walking around earlier."Who are you?"Little Lily chuckled. She probably noticed that he is a new student here."Haha, you don't have to be scared. I'm too beautiful and cute to be a ghost 😒"He just rolled his eyes and faced the door again. He hate that ugly girl."Hey, you!! Don't you dare turn your back on me or else-""or else what?"He interrupted the little girl. Lily stepped back a little because of that."What? You want to hurt me?! Hmmpp...Go on! But I'm gonna tell to my Mommy that you're bullying me..blehhh!😝"Then, she tapped her cheeks and smirked on Andrei.He raised his eyebrow cause he can't handle Lily's attitude.He faced the door again and push it aside so he can enter. He completely forgot that he was nervous because of her."H-hello everyone... I'm Andrei, nice to meet you all!""Me and my family are just new here..so I don't know anyone yet..umm I hope that you will became my friends""So everyone, let's welcome Andrei to our class! Please take care of him" said by their teacher.*LUNCHTIME*While roaming around his new school, Andrei saw someone crying at the corner of the playground. When he got near, he saw a familiar face.*She's the girl earlier,right?Hmm..she's crying, I wonder why?*"Hey, ugly girl! Why are you crying?""What happened to your confidence earlier ha?!""What a crybaby 🙄"Lily cry harder because of what he said."Hey, stop crying will you?! It's really annoying!""Hey just answer me! Why are you crying?""M-my... classmate said..that I was.. ugly.. wahhh"".... I'm not ugly, my mother and brother said that I was really pretty...""...Do you think that I'm really ugly...??...well, you just called me ugly earlier so...so... I'm really ugly in everyone's eyes..wahhh""Stop crying!! You're not ugly, okay ?""You're so noisy..tch""Hmm.. really? You're not lying?""Yeah yeah, so stop crying. Let's go now! We still have class..so stand up and wipe your tears!_"Umm..okay. Hey..""What?""My feets hurt..so carry me please..🥺""Ughh...fine"He carry Lily to her classroom. Because of this incident they became close to each other. And this is how their friendship started.~END OF FLASHBACK~ |
ANDREI'S POVWhen they reached Lily's house, he brought Lily into her bedroom and layed her down."Thank you, Andrei..""No problem. Do you need anything?""Can you get my crutches for me? It's hidden behind my clothes in the closet"He got Lily's crutches and give her a confused look."What's with the face?""Why do you have those?""Oh, you didn't know?""Know what?""I have a bad knee . It's swells sometimes and I can't walk properly so.... I need to use this"Andrei felt his chest ached. He felt guilty. She's my childhood friend yet I didn't know about these important matters." Does everybody know about your knee?""Actually, not everybody. Just some of my close friends"Andrei's eyes watered but he's trying to hold it. He doesn't want Lily to see him crying."Andrei..""Yes?""Remember that time when we watched movie together and it suddenly rained?""Hmm..""I just noticed. You never insult me anymore. I mean it's just so out of your character and... I kinda missed it"He raised his left eyebrow and giggled."You're a weirdo. You missed being humiliated?""Yeah... Don't get me wrong! I was just talking about you, insulting me.... That's all.."Lily is blushing so hard. Andrei can't stop smiling cause she just looks so cute.He leaned closer to Lily and kissed her cheek.She looks at him with a shocked face."Andrei, what are you doing?""Why? Can't I kiss my girlfriend?"He smirked and Lily can't look at him in his eyes. She's too embarrassed.Andrei hugged her from the back and rested his chin on Lily's shoulder. He inhaled and her pleasant smell entered his nose."Lily""Yes?""Can I come over tomorrow? I want to do this again"She turned her head to face him with a smile on her face."Sure. I want to hug you all the time"After that, he kissed Lily's forehead and stood up. "I'm going home now. Call me if you need help with anything, okay?""Yep yep😊"He stands up and take his bag. He kissed her forehead again and walked to the door "Goodbye, Andrei. Be safe♡""Goodbye...my ugly Lily"Lily smiled wider and giggled. She waved her hand to bid goodbye to her lover. |
5:30 AMANDREI'S POVHe woke up with a headache. He keeps on massaging his head to lessen the pain. He suddenly remembered that he is in May's house and blacked out after drinking the juice she gave him last night.He knew something was off. He ran downstairs and saw her in the living room having her coffee."What did you put on my drink last night?! Did something happened between us?!!"He's growling at her and breathing heavily. But May, she's still sitting pretty."Calm down, Andrei..."She took a sip on her coffee and walked towards him."I did nothing on you. I'm not a maniac ya'know ""I don't believe you. Keep your mouth shut and don't let Lily know about this, you hear me?!""Woah, chill! It's still so early. You can have you're breakfast first if you wanted to leave now..."Then she smiled innocently to Andrei. He can't trust her. With that smile on her face, he knew she did something but he cannot figure it out."No thanks. I'll leave right away"He rushed to the door and runs to his house. When he got home, he saw his parents having their breakfast."Mom, Dad... I'm sorry if I didn't came home. Please let me-""Oh, Andrei. Have some breakfast""Hey there, honey. Come here"He can't understand why his parents were acting so weird."You guys are not mad at me coming home this time?""Why would we be mad? You're safe now!""Remember? The criminals are already arrested""You're joking, right?""No, were not!""Just sat down here and eat""Okay. It's settled then"He doesn't know why but he feels uncomfortable. There's something bothering Andrei's head but couldn't figure it out. He dropped his utensils and left without a word.ANDREI'S PARENTS POV"What happened to him?""I don't know. Maybe he had a fight with his girlfriend, hehe(≧▽≦)""Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you...""What is it?""Do you think our son is a gay?""Shut up with those nonsense, Robert! But if that's the case, he'll still be my son. Our son""Right...." |
Tears are falling heavily on Lily's face. Andrei noticed this but he can't move his body."H-hey, what are you talking about?"His voice is trembling."Remember those times that you said you were busy with something? or I rather say, with someone??"Andrei's eyes widened.*Does she knew about this for a long time? But I already withdraw from the dare!*"Lily, l-let me explain...""I don't need your explanation. I was so dumb that time! Why didn't I notice it?! Did you know what I'm feeling that time? I was so lonely!"Staring at Lily's teary eyes, Andrei can't hold his tears too. He's shaking."I want to end this. There was no spark between us at all. It doesn't make sense if... I still want to hold onto something that's already fading...""But, I need you..""Yes you do""Then stay!"Andrei shouted unexpectedly at Lily. But she is shaking her head."I can't do that. You need me, but you don't love me""That's not true! I had always loved you Lily. Please... please, let's settle this""I am settling this!! It's for the better, Andrei Lennox"He froze again when she calls him with his full name."Thank you for everything..."Lily leaned closer to Andrei and gave him a kiss on the lips. This might be their first kiss but it will also be the last. He closed his eyes and feels the soft lips of Lily.She broke the interaction and cupped Andrei's face. His eyes are still crying."Goodbye....."And then she starts walking away from him."Lily......""Lily!!"Andrei kept calling her name but the latter seems to be not hearing his calls.LILY'S POVShe keeps walking but her knees wanted to give up.She heard Andrei shouting her name. This time, she wanted to go back and give him a tightest hug.He's still shouting at the back, giving her a chance to comeback."I'll count from 10-1 . If you don't comeback, we'll forget each others name. Ten!""Nine!""Eight!""Seven!"Lily's knees are getting weaker every time Andrei shouts a number. It makes her feel, to go back to him."Five!""Four!"But her pride took the most of her so she runs fast as she could, until she can't hear Andrei's voice anymore.ANDREI'S POVHe's still counting when he saw Lily run away."Three!"He wanted to chase her but his legs won't cooperate with his body."Two!"He stopped shouting when he can't see her anymore."Two......""Two......."Andrei sat on the ground and cried heavily."That's not fair! I got used to everything we had just then! How dare you leave me, Lily!!"His voice faints......
"I love you, please come back......." |
The room is full of sobbing, even Ryan is crying so hard and Mike gave him a hug. Faith and Shiela are also hugging each other, while Syd is hugging himself.A few moments later, Lily felt someone stuttering. She looked up and saw Andrei's lips moving."L-lily.....""Andrei....... Andrei!!""L-lily......."Andrei smiled at his lover and gently wiped her tears. Everyone cried in tears of joy.~FAST FORWARD~After the doctor had checked up Andrei, his parents hugged him tightly. Everyone is happy."You made me worried sick, you idiot son!!""Stop cursing me, Mom. I just wake up haha""Thank goodness! We thought we'd really lost you...."Lily is just staring at them with a big smile. A few moments later, someone knocked on the door."I'll go for it"She opened the door and saw May with a basket."Hi! Uhhhh....May I come in?""Yeah, sure!"She went inside and greeted everyone."Hello!""Sup""Hi""Yow!""Hey!"Syd is speechless and also blushing. He keeps staring at May. Well, she is really pretty, there's nothing surprising about it."H-hi""Hi, I'm May! Nice to meet you"She smiled sweetly at him, he blushed intensely. He turned back and went to the bathroom to burst out."Hey, Lily! Here's a basket of fruits for you and- Andrei? You're already awake?!""Yeah, just a couple of hours ago. What are you doing here?""I just wanted to uhhhh pay a visit. Oh, I brought some fruits""Okay, thanks a lot....""Andrei, you know May, she's a very dependable classmate of yours"He stared at his father with confusion about the word "classmate" coz they weren't classmates!But he let it pass since everyone is having a good time.A few minutes later everyone decided to leave for a while, also his parents. It's only Lily and Andrei left in the room.She sat beside Andrei and hugged him."I missed you......""Me too.....""I haven't reached number one yet in my counting....."Lily looked up and kissed the latter's chin."Want to try again?""Of course, and I won't let you go anymore"They kissed each other's lips passionately. This goes on for about 20 seconds. After that, they look into each others eyes.
"I love you, Andrei....."
"I love you too, Lily...."
TO BE CONTINUED...... |
I was only a child, but still I knew how cruel the world was. I feel like I got the bitter end of the stick.
Many of us had abilities but mine were different. People feared me. All it took for me was one touch to know all of the deepest, darkest parts of others. It was hard at first, to not resent them for it, but because I can see a person for who they really are, I was able to understand... why they are the way that they are.
This curse... for a long time..I had a hard time controlling it. I could never explain how but there were times where I swore I was able to control peoples wills. At first, it was a second.. but then as I practiced my ability more, a second turned into a minute. A minute grew into 2, and so on. I was able to get them to do what
I
wanted. It was like putting wool over their eyes. My own little sheep.
My parents didn't even want me, they tried to use me for their own benefit. I always refused, so they tried hard to get rid of me instead. They saw me as useless, I was left to the neighbors at one point before they abandoned me too.
I was all alone when it all happened. The government passed a law where all of those with abilities had to be kept in cages like animals. I was good living on my own for a long time, I got farther than most people would of, if we're being honest.
Then I ran into him.
He was the first person to ever show me kindness, and maybe, that's why... I followed him. |
It's 10pm, a cold Halloween evening. Raven, a young pale girl in a witch costume sits down on a couch.
"T-thanks for letting me in so late, Hawks..." Her voice is trembling, as if still full of fear.
"Well? Tell me what happened!" A slightly overweight boy with blonde hair holds two goblets full of red wine and puts one of them in front of Raven.
"W-Well, I-" A doorbell interrupts. Hawks opens the door and there he sees three little kids dressed up as a Titan, a Ghoul and a Pirate.
"Trick-or-Treat!" The kids yell synchronized.
"Aren't you little bastards adorable? Here, take these." Hawks offers the sweets from a basket. The kids take a piece each and leave. "You sounded really terrified on the phone. So?" He asks Raven impatiently.
"I was... waiting for an extra bacon pizza I had ordered. It happened around three hours ago..."
Raven starts telling a story, a flashback shows her in the same costume at 7pm in her house. A doorbell rings and she opens the door. A small girl with a realistic-looking blood on her face and a knife in her hand says silently: "Trick-and-Treat..."
Raven smiles: "Did you mean Trick-or-Treat?" She gives the sweets to her but the girl continues staring at her.
"I don't have anywhere to go, I would like to-" As the girl tries to say something to her, Raven's phone rings and she picks it up.
"I will be waiting for you! Thanks!" She hangs up and says to the girl: "My pizza's gonna be here any minute, so thanks for stopping by, see you around! Oh, and a very great mask!" She closes the door.
Back at Hawks' house, Raven continues: "But then, something unimaginable happened... like straight up from a horror movie..."
At her home again, Raven opens the pizza box and goes pale. "No... this can't be...!"
Hawks listens to her story with eyes wide open: "W-what was there?" He gulps.
"The pizza... didn't have the extra bacon!!!!"
"Aaaghhh!!!" Hawks screams frightened. After he calms down, he hugs Raven: "It's alright. I am here for you and I have both pizza and bacon. You can have as much as you want. The pizza can't hurt you anymore."
"Thank you. I need to go to the toilet..." Raven stands up while wiping away the tears.
Hawks notices news in the TV. The TV host says: "Interrupting the program because of a special reportage! There is a young woman in her 30's with a rare condition that makes her look like a 12 year old child, running in the city with a knife. She tricks the unsuspecting people into treating her to their homes only for her to murder them moments later. There have been two incidents already!"
Hawks has terror in his eyes as Raven comes back from the toilet: "What did I miss?"
"N-nothing!" He quickly turns off the TV as he stares at Raven in disbelief.
THE END. |
Despite my greatest fears, reality had chosen to surpass them, achieving something far, far worse.
Hurtling through the depths of hyperspace, a vast swarm of starships splinter past millions of stars and planets. Each and every one in military colours, the deep black showing clearly against the kaleidoscope of colours that roar past with every light year. Midst the chaotic stream fly numerous ships of varying sizes and scales fly straight in rigid formation.
Leading the host is a vessel who threatens to vanquish all that it beholds. The sheer immensity of the vessel, the battleship among battleships, the grand battleship, Visentaz. The monster of the Visclian Federation, powers forth, its sixteen indium drives expelling continuous streams of antimatter, its purple hue whilst the same as those of the craft that it parallels, outshines every other. The metal hulk was equipped with uncountable batteries of weapons but most prominent are the twenty triple gun turrets that line the vessel from bow to stern, their railguns, retracted, are dormant awaiting an opportunity to launch their deadly payload, to tear past all defences, be it ionised shields or hardened titanium alloy. These are not all that the best of the Federation has to offer, accompanying the main armament is a vast array of secondaries, a veritable assortment of missiles, lasers, flak cannons, ion cannons and innumerable others.
Upon the grand battleship's bridge looms a gaunt man of later years, the ship's captain and the Admiral of the Visclian Armada, Lord Jundter Visentaz the Younger. The grand nephew of the ship's namesake, who was a brilliant military strategist who'd lead the Armada against the Falica Empire, crushing them and wresting many systems from the Empire's grasp. The Younger was his uncle's equal in achievement, having risen to his position rapidly over the course of the Grand War of Wilest, wiping the warmongering peoples of the Eritian Sector and sending the Red Coalition of Telvior into hiding after wiping out their navy. He'd sparred with the best of them, even the Enclave, the horrid threat to all that lived and breathed.
The bridge is dark, with only the data terminals still on, so as to reduce interference with the indium drivers. A tremor begins to reverberate through the craft, something typical of hyperspace travel, but it begins to grow and ascends into terrifying heaving and crashing, as realspace comes smashing into stark focus.
An interdiction. The Visentaz blinks back into realspace, missing its escort. The shock of being torn from hyperspace so suddenly causes the hull of the Visentaz to creak and shudder under the sudden release of pressure from the immense structure. Alarms shriek into the bridge, a cacophony of red and white, the crew are stunned for a second before years and years of ingrained training comes to the fore and the bridge resounds with a veritable torrent of information.
"We've been interdicted! Man your posts! All hands on deck!"
"Diverting power to shields and hardpoints! Ready at your command, sir!"
"Multiple contacts! Three battleships to port, roughly three thousand clicks off, escort of 12 screens, 7 destroyers, 5 cruisers. The enemy is within strike range!"
"Tracing source of interdiction!"
"All hardpoints ready in ten minutes, communition missiles are armed!"
The bridge is awash with the sounds of frantic typing and the beeping of multiple data sources coming in, but a voice rings clear over the noise.
"Ready missiles!"
The admiral's grim face remains stoic in the face of the enemy, he's dealt with far worse.
"Ready!"
"Fire for effect."
The command now given, not two seconds later, the familiar streaks of indigo flare from the grand battleship as a brutal salvo of 40 Heilvain communition missiles are ejected from their tubes. In an instant, they adjust themselves in space before flashing into hyperspace.
A pause.
Then the celebration of the Federation's power begins. At once a light show of death begins, the hues of red and crimson of exploding vessels, mixing with the blue and purple of shattering ion shields. The unstoppable might of the Federation given form. A weapon that laughed at all that stood before it, indium driven missiles that slipped into hyperspace reappearing midst a vessel, past any standard defence, to unleash its communition charge, unleashing the same power that sent it flying into the ship, in all directions, resulting the targeted ship shaking itself apart.
Almost as soon as the battle had begun, all of the enemy's cruisers had been obliterated, now little more than scrap cast into the void. The other vessels, however, fared better, most of the destroyers had managed to escape the same fate, having manoeuvred out of the way in the short pause whilst the missiles slipped into hyperspace. The battleships, while having taken some damage were far too large for the communition missiles to have taken out. Only one of them appeared to have suffered any significant damage, from the fires that had started near one of its turrets.
His face lit from the flashes, the admiral said without taking his eyes off the enemy.
"Any response from the rest of the fleet?"
The chief communications officer replies promptly.
"Yes sir! ETA in 20 minutes"
The admiral, resting his hands upon the command console, deep in thought before coming to a decision.
"Fire port engines, 2 minutes, ready drivers for jump. We must leave at once, the enemy wouldn't attack us with only three battleships. There has to be a larger-"
His commands are interrupted by a dull rumble that resonates from the port as the enemy battleships returned fire with their weapons, the inferior rounds easily blunted by the Visentaz's ion shields, dissipating their kinetic energies with ease
His hands grip the sides of his display, knuckles white, when something hits him.
"Cancel that command, ready drivers NOW! We must return to the fleet at once. There is not a second to waste!"
There could only be one possible reason for the enemy to interdict the Visentaz with such a comparatively small force, the great battleship was never the real target in the first place!
The rest of the armada was in danger, and if the Visentaz was not there in time, the possibility of the entire force being taken out before the Visentaz met with it wasn't unlikely. If the Armada fell, the fate of the Federation would be thrown into jeopardy, they might not ever recover from it, with all the enemies that surround the burgeoning nation.
Jundter grits his teeth, remembering the orders that had put him in this position in the first place. When he returned to the capital, the Council would pay. |
At the far end of the parking lot, Elizabeth got a glimpse of Alaric Saltzman, who was the only person who wasn't running. She felt she could detect movement in both his hands and lips despite the fact that he was standing quite still.
Everywhere else was mayhem. Someone had acquired a hose, and they were trying to get it towards the middle of the pack, but it had little impact. It was as if the dogs had lost their minds. When Chelsea pulled her brown and white muzzle away from her master's body, a hint of blood could be seen on her muzzle.
The rapid beating of Elizabeth's heart made it difficult for her to take a breath. She yelled out, "They need assistance!" just as Katherine disengaged herself from the window and started walking down the steps.
dividing them up into groups of two and three at a time. Elizabeth was about halfway down the steps when she realized two things: Dominic was not following her, and she could not let herself be seen. The first realization came first, followed by the second one.
She was unable to. The panic that it would create, the questions that it would raise, the terror and anger that it would incite once those questions were addressed. She was pushed up against the wall and her back was twisted, but it wasn't pity or compassion that did it; it was something far more fundamental than that.
She peered into the gloomy and cold inside of the church and had a glimpse of a hive of activity within. People were yelling and running back and forth between the two locations. Mr. McCullough, Reverend Bethea, and Dr. Feinberg are here today. Denis, who was unconscious and laying on a pew with Merit, Aunt Judith, and Mrs. McCullough hunched over her, served as the focal point of the circle's silence. She was wailing about "something awful" at the time when Elizabeth's Aunt Judith's head popped up and turned in Elizabeth's way.
Elizabeth crept up the stairs as swiftly as she could, hoping without hope that her aunt Judith hadn't spotted her. Dominic was over at the window looking out.
"They believe I've passed away, therefore I can't go down there!"
"Oh, you've recalled that. Good for you." "Oh, you've remembered that. Good for you." "Oh, you've remembered that. Good for you."
There is no doubt in my mind that he will consider you to be an intriguing creature.
"Then it seems like I won't be able to go, but you can. Why don't you take some action?"
Dominic's eyebrows raised in a puzzled expression as he continued to glance out the window. "Why?"
Elizabeth's fear and overexcitement reached a boiling pitch, and she was on the verge of slapping him when she said, "Why?" Because they need assistance, and because you are in a position to provide it. Don't you care about anything other than yourself?
Dominic wore the smile of polite inquiry that he'd worn when he invited himself to her place for supper; it was his most impenetrable mask. However, she was aware that below it, he was furious, and that anger was caused by the discovery that she and Katherine were together. He did it on purpose and seemed to take a perverse pleasure in provoking her.
And she was unable to control her response, the wrath that came from feeling helpless and angry. She made a move towards him, but he grabbed her wrists and held her back as his eyes stared intently into hers. She was taken aback when she heard the sound that emanated from her mouth at that moment; it was a hiss that resembled a purr more than a human sound. She suddenly became aware that her fingers had transformed into claws.
Where am I going with this? Are you going to assault him because he won't protect them from the dogs who are attacking them? What type of logical reasoning is it supposed to be? She let out a deep breath and then loosened her hands while wetting her lips. She took a step back, and he allowed her to do so.
They seemed to be staring at one another for a considerable amount of time. Elizabeth said in a low voice, "I'm going down," and then turned.
"No."
"They need assistance."
Dominic's voice had never sunk to such a low pitch before, nor had she ever heard him sound so enraged. "All right, then, damn you." "I'll," he said, but then he cut himself short, and as Elizabeth hastily turned around, she watched him smack his fist against the window ledge, which caused the glass to shake. But he was paying attention to what was going on outside, and when he stated calmly, "Help has come," he sounded completely collected once again.
It was the fire department that was responsible. They had hoses that were far more powerful than the garden hose, and the jet streams of water were forceful enough to drive the dogs to retreat when they lunged at them. When Elizabeth spotted a lawman armed with a pistol, she chewed the inside of her cheek to distract herself as the man leveled and sighted his weapon.
There was a break in the floor, and the enormous schnauzer fell through it. Once again, the sheriff took aim.
After that, everything came to an end quite soon. Once the first crack of the pistol, some dogs were already on their way away from the onslaught of water; but, after the second shot was fired, further canines broke away from the pack and proceeded toward the perimeter of the parking lot. It was as if the goal that had been driving them had all of a sudden freed them from its grasp. When Elizabeth spotted Katherine standing uninjured in the center of the commotion, she experienced a wave of comfort. Katherine was pushing a golden retriever that seemed to be confused away from Doug Carson's body. Chelsea approached her master in a cowardly manner and gazed directly into his face while lowering both her head and her tail. |
The capital of the Federation was in a celebratory mood, the cobbled streets were lined with crowds awaiting the arrival of the pride of the fleet, the grand queen of the Visclian Armada, the Visentaz. The skies were a brilliant blue, clear of any clouds, the two suns of the system far away, their dance across the heavens uninterrupted by the festivities. Soon a shudder could be felt by all that roamed the streets, the lady of the void had arrived. The Visentaz was to appear.
An immense shadow blots out the sun in an instant, a creature of steel and titanium, its twenty gargantuan railgun turrets lay dormant, each larger than the city, packing enough destructive power to shatter planets and destroy gods. In time with the arrival of the vessel, a wave of fireworks flies into the sky calling a start to the festivities. The armada had done it yet again, flying out into the darkness of the void, fighting against the horrible enemies that surrounded their nation and had returned victorious.
As the ship continues across the sky, slowly the induced night returns to brilliant day, and the celebrations are now well underway. A series of small streaks of light leave the great ship and zip in close to the city before descending lower, to the outreaches of the holy city. The admiral and his retinue have finally returned to Obtera, the holy city of Viscllia.
The city was anachronistic, while in most nations, their cities were filled with tall towers of steel and glass, the city of Obtera appeared to be torn out from a storybook of old. This however was by design, the city was made with the goal of being comfortable and walkable, it's skies free from any pollution, it's roads safe for people to roam. While it wasn't able to accommodate as many people as other cities, it was one of the best cities to live in.
The city was a wondrous place, it's roads winding and interlinked, grand streets, ornate lamps, bikes and gardens. The buildings built from natural minerals, their roofs a burnished orange, their walls a lovely cream. Ornate electric lamps line the streets, warm light spews from the simple LEDs within. Most prominent of all is the Palace of the Council, a marble building watching over the city atop a mountain, it's pillars each over a meter in width, a grand building which towers over the city of Obtera.
The marble in the halls of the council remain silent, while outside, the festivities are in full swing, the air in Palace of the Council remains pensive, reticent to join in for there is much to do. AThe Federation's lines have been pushed back as attrition weakens its member states, their forces slowing ground down by the forces of the enemy.
The only force that has shown any success in the recent months has been the Armada, while it has taken losses after each voyage, it has continued to come out on top against any and all it comes up against. There are those in the council who are less than satisfied by the performance of their own fleets but see Armada as the reason why their own forces have failed having supplied a ton of the resources that go into maintaining the Grand Armada which could have gone to fortifying their own. However, the Armada stands supreme and has saved each and every one of them from total destruction.
The master of the Armada descends upon one of the many landing pads that decorate the rear of the Palace. The small craft opens its doors with a hiss, the lord of the void appears with his retinue, his second in command, communications officer, security officer, and navigator. The admiral stands regally upon the top of the steps before making his way down the step, each precise and calculated. His medals shining prominently in the sun's light, his arm resting by his sidearm, a mark of a seasoned officer. He is followed by his second in command a woman nearly equal to him in age, who carries herself with equal prose. The communications officer follows, junior to the two ahead by many years, is distracted, using her datasheet to parse through the report the admiral will submit to the council. The security officer follows, hand rested on his scabbard, the other adjusting his cap to regulation standards. Lastly, the navigator appears, clutched to his side is a large datasheet and hanging from his pocket is a ring from which hang data chips, jingling as he walks down the steps.
They are greeted by the Chief Steward of the Council, who bows before the bridge crew of the Visentaz, as he does so, a multitude of other craft begin to land around them, each holding the commanders of the Armada, landing and soon they are stood in file behind the lord of the Visentaz, a force a hundred strong. Finally, the Armada has reported home.
The Admiral turns to address his staff, "I know all of you have fought hard and valiantly against the scourge that has attacked us and we have come home, victorious yet again!"
A cheer resounds through the officers.
"However, we still have many more battles to fight for the war is not yet over. I seek your strength in the future. I wish for the captains to remain, for we have much to discuss. With that, you are all dismissed."
After all the lower officers had left, the admiral turned to the Steward and asked, "I would have a room for me and my men for I have matters to settle. When am I to report to the council?"
The Steward plainly states, " Sire, a room has already been prepared, you are expected at the turn of the hour for the council is in session."
The admiral's face remains blank but he appears displeased by this. He commands his men and heads to the room, marching through the open doors of the Palace, held open by the palace's caretakers.
A lone figure marches before a set of grand doors and with both arms, swings them open steadily. He is met by the 12 Councillors of the Grand Council of Viscllia.
Each sits upon a regal throne that surrounds a central elliptical table that displays multiple complex arrays of data. Most of them, of elder age with few exceptions.
"I see you've returned with your fleet in good health, Lord Visentaz.", nodded the War Master. A regal figure from the Orth Dominion of the Federation, remarkably youthful for the role, only 90 years of age, unlike the average of the council which must have been around 300.
"I would have rather have not, Lady Sanfara, for it appears," the admiral paused, looking around the room, "That I am yet to head out again on another voyage."
While the man spoke evenly and calmly, there was a tinge of irritation in his voice.
Another councillor, one of Altesian blood, stood up, rage twisting his aged features, " Admiral. Remember your place, we all have suffered much and your fleet is essential to our efforts. Might I remind you, the Eruthians have surrounded the Altesian homeworlds, placing them under siege. We must break the vice upon Altesia. A second wasted could spell death for billions of my people."
"I understand your position, Lord Elron, but the Armada is not of sound state, the ships are damaged and my men need rest. Being overly hasty may prove foolish, sire", while this was blatant disrespect to one who might have been called king a few centuries ago, Jundter had that power for he and his family were instrumental in the formation of the Federation, having conquered 8 of the 11 nations of the council. While he was a lesser lord by birth, he and his were revered for their devastating effectiveness upon the battlefield.
"Might I remind you if you had properly equipped your own fleet, this siege might not have been a forgone conclusion in the first place. I heard that the Altesian Fleet had, what was it? Had most of their weapons in derelict condition, reduced to floating prisons of death of all who lay within"
Councillor Elron was about to explode into a full rage but was cut off by the Visclian representative, Lord Alder, who held up a hand. While technically said to be equal, the structure of the council was deceitful in the fact that while the Visclians had let the rest of the nations remain free and sovereign, it did not mean they didn't still hold power over them.
"Jundter, I would remind you to not aggravate the councillors, the fact remains, most of Altesia has fallen, with only the homeworlds still standing, if barely."
The loss of Altesia had been one of the blunders in the defence of the sector, however there was little that could be done, while they were a Federation, each were to protect their own, with the great armada coming to the aid of those who needed the might of the Visclian Armada. While Altesia fell, the Armada had been busy in the southern nadir, dealing with the Gracian fleet, who'd thought Orth would be a lovely addition to their empire.
While the Armada was technically a fleet of the capital planet of the Federation, it represented the might of the whole. Likewise, it received proportional spending as the arm of the Federation. While it was powerful, it was not a monolith, as with any fleet it required repairs and its crew needed rest. The lack of this, rightly, peeved its admiral, for while the battleship Visentaz had been uninjured by the last voyage he had ventured upon, a single ship does not make the fleet. Half of his fleet was in various states of disrepair, holes in their hulls, damaged engines, missing guns, and dead sailors. What he needed most, was time. Time, to replace vessels, barrels and men.
There was some conversing among the councillors, but it was clear what was going to happen, there was no choice if Altesia fell, the inner sanctum of the Federation would then be left open, allowing the enemy free access to it's innermost confines, ready or not the Armada would have to go.
"Lord Visentaz, you will lead Armada upon Altesia and retake the homeworlds. We shall see you off upon sundown, may the gods be with you."
There would be no time, for there was no time left.
Lord Elron looked upon the admiral smugly, his face still tinged red and sweaty. While Jundter could say as he wished, he was still beholden to his vow to his country, and when the council ordered him to leave, he would.
And thus, the admiral turns foot to leave the room, with the doors slamming shut behind him, well aware that the next voyage of his may be his last. |
I had done so well to fit in, without anyone knowing who I was or, I guess,
what
I was.
I had just turned 16, while I was working at a bar under the alias of Yora. My boss was a woman in her mid twenties, her name was Laiya. She bumped into me in the street on day when I
saw
her. I saw that she was also a mutant and that she owned a bar. The next day I went into the bar and handed her my resume. I made sure our hands touched as I whispered into her ear.
"You will give me a job here."
I got the job, but I miscalculated.. her ability.. she was able to invoke any certain desire out of people. I was not that strong in my ability yet and she desired to know more about me. She sat me down one night and stroked my hair.
"Tell me about yourself."
In no time she had me spilling my guts to her.
"I knew it was strange, how fast I gave you the job. I didn't even look over your resume." She had a sly smile.
She used me a lot after that. I had a strict rule for myself, to not use my ability unless I were in danger. She on the other hand, didn't have this rule. I found myself having the desire to gain her approval. It was later that I learned that she was involved in underground business. She was a money hungry, mean spirited woman but hell, was she beautiful. If looks could kill, she could easily be the cause of a 10th war.
Up until I met her, I had empathized with those I saw into. I remember seeing her as a little girl, just like me, unwanted by their parents. She left and made it with her looks and abilities. I did see all the bad doings she had done to get to where she was. I knew she wasn't a good person but, I don't know.. maybe I thought she could change.. she was lonely like I was, that maybe we could've been friends.
So I ended up getting involved with the illegal underground businesses of hers. She eventually opened up a strip joint. A nightclub for mutants. It was a huge success and I now had two jobs. By the time I turned 19, she had become a huge boss in the underground criminal organization. I was by her side, together we had managed to manipulate and control all of the men of the highest underground order into giving her their power and money. We were never caught and how could we be?
She eventually married the biggest criminal boss.
"You can't be a powerful woman without a man on your side. Others would've started to suspect something was up.." She told me once. He had no idea she was a mutant, I doubt she'd ever let him know.
I remember her sending me on an errand one night when I had begun to break out of her ability.
"I don't think I like this.."
"Shut up and do what I tell you."
_______
It had been a quiet afternoon at the bar. I had just gotten off of work. I was crossing the street when a commotion broke out.
"Mutant!"
I was startled. I paused my footsteps and I quickly turned my head towards the commotion wondering how they had found me just as my sight set on a man being ambushed in the distance by three drunk guys.
"I'm not a mutant!"
"You're lying! There could be no other way for you to win! You filth!"
I turned my head forward.
This is no time to be a hero, keep walking. You've got a lot to lose.
I started to walk again as the men continued to go back and forth.
"Please! I have children, leave me alone!"
I paused and sighed before I turned to walk towards the commotion. |
It had been the first time i'd ever felt seen. I've never felt so vulnerable, and for once, I felt like an equal. His name was Gamble.
------
The first snow was due later that day yet the air was a cool warmth. There was a slight dry breeze that rushed through the air every couple of seconds.
I had walked up to the group of men and peered down at the man being kicked around.
I firmly placed my hands on two of their shoulders.
"Stop."
I waited while they stood there with blank expressions. It was a while before the other guy had noticed anything wrong. He looked over at his two friends.
"Hey what's wrong with you two?"
I quickly walked over to him and grabbed his arm as I whispered to him,
"Take your friends and go."
He grabbed both of his friends as they hurried off.
"So you're one too?" A low husky voice escaped from the man on the ground, he grunted a bit as he tried to push himself off the ground.
I looked over at him seeing a now clearer view of his face. He looked young, too young to have children even.
"What's your name, at least tell me your name." He spoke.
"I'm no one, you need to forget that you even saw me here."
I reached out my hand to help him up. I paused a little as I caught a gentle reflection in his eye. I almost decided to get him to forget me at that moment, but for some strange reason, I didn't.
"You should hurry and get home to your children. "
He sighed.
"Aren't you tired? Of always having to run, to hide? I mean how are we any less human than them! They're the real monsters."
I could see the tension rise in his face.
"You shouldn't talk about it so loud."
We started walking and talking around for a bit.
"They fear us.." I told him.
"... but I mean, you can't think of it in such a bad way. Or else it all becomes meaningless.. I have to believe the reason we're born like this..is all for a reason." My expression turned gloom.
He notices my face as he stops walking and turns to face me, he reaches out his hand. "My name is Ariel but my friends call me Gamble, it's nice to meet you." He nodded towards me.
His hand peeked into my view. I reached towards it and shook it. I glanced over at his expression and noticed the gentle look in his eyes again.
"Oh.. right.." I said nervously as I looked around and squeezed my shoulder.
"My name is.." I stuttered not knowing to say my real name or alias.
"Layla." I nervously looked away.
We continued to walk and talk for what had felt like a short while before the sun had started to rise. He explained to me that he didn't have kids, that he just yelled it out in desperation. We also found out that we had a lot in common. We were the same age, hell we even had the same birthday.
"You are my good luck charm. I think there is a reason we met. From now on I plant to keep you close." He gave me a smile and a warm embrace before he left. He came to visit me many more times after that night.
I later learned that his mutation allowed him to steal luck from others, but that there is a balance and that if he is not careful he can accidentally steal their unluck too.
He says he gambles for a living and that is how he got his nickname.
It had confused me at first but then he explained that the night he met me, the night those guys had beat him down, it was because they had been cheating and could not believe he had won, unless he had an ability.
He explained to me that the moment I appeared, was pure luck.
I told him about my abilities, something I probably shouldn't have done.
"So you're Psychometric?" He looked intrigue as he asked that.
"I guess.. I am..somewhat." |
It's Saturday morning i have just woke up from my bed and it's 9.00 am. I went to the bathroom and bath . After bathing i went to the kitchen and my mom has prepared breakfast for me and my brother . I had my breakfast and i went back to my bedroom to take my phone . When I took my phone and i saw 18 missed calls from Xin . I was shocked when i saw her missed calls . I wonder why a girl like Xin would call on the Saturday morning . Once again my heart started to pounce very fast and inside my mind i had many thoughts about why she is trying to reach me, does she just wanted to be my friend or she has interest in me . This questions popped up inside my mind . All of sudden my i heard someone is calling me from the downstairs . I rushed to downstairs to see what the matter then, i realized it was Xin that called my mom . I was like what the matter with her and why the hell she is calling my mom and how the hell she got my mother's phone number. Well i said to my mom that she is my friend and i said that i would call her back. I went back to my bedroom and i took my phone and i messaged her and I asked her why did you call me ? How did you get my mother's phone number ? Then after few minutes she called me again but this time it's a video call . So as an introvert person i ain't going to answer the call because I never had a conversation more longer than 2 seconds with a girl before and it was like bone chilling to talk to to any new person especially with girls . But she didn't stop right there she called me by using Instagram, Skype . She just made me go nuts for the entire Saturday morning . I finally made my mind and I take on the challenge to face it i called her to ask a her why are you calling me .
I called her and after few rings she picked up the call and i started the conversation with a very casual approach " hi Xin it's me Feng why did you called me this morning and how did you get my mother's phone number? " " well i call you because since yesterday i was waiting for your message but you didn't message me so i thought you were busy with some house chores and school homeworks that's why I thought maybe i should call you Saturday morning because i thought you might be free today . That's why I called you and i got your mom's number from your best friend . He literally gave me without even asked me why . So that's how I got your mom's number. Well sorry for disturbing your mom . Well it's okay Xin I don't mind it . So why did you call me for ? I call you because i thought we might hangout in the mall or the park because today my mom and dad are going out to a birthday party they will come back late so i thought maybe you could accompany me while they are not around. That's why I called you .
I see it's okay no problem i would love to hangout with some new friends too . So of course I would like to hangout . So now could you please send me your house address i would book a cab to your house from there we will be heading to the nearest shopping mall. Is it okay for you Xin ?
Yep I'm good with it . Thank you so much for accompany me . I would be waiting for you in my house and i already sent you my house address . Once again thank you so much for hanging out with me Feng . It's my pleasure Xin . Okay see you soon bye.
To be continued ....... |
Hi Feng are you on the way, well I'm just asking because it's been quite late . Is everything okay ? Feng ?
Hi Xin i just now only saw your message sorry for the late because the way to your house is full of cars it's a heavy traffic jam in here . That's the reason why I'm late. Sorry again for being late Xin .
It's okay Feng I'm okay with take your time be careful have a safe journey Feng .
Hey Xin I'm Infront of your house now are your there.
Yes! Feng I'm here
Okay let's go then!
So Feng how are you doing today? It's our first time going out together it bet this is going to be my favorite day out with the person a like thae most next to my parents .
Well yeah you're right but what do you mean by the person you like ? Do you mean that I'm the person you like the most next to your parents ? Well I'm just asking you there's nothing wrong asking a friend about this ? Isn't it ?
Umm no actually what do i mean by that is you're a good friend that's what I meant by that because i didn't have many friends that are really nice nor kind like this . That's why I said it like that . Well is there anything wrong with it ? If i'm wrong I'm sorry.
No no Xin i just asked you in a very friendly way just like i would talk or ask to my other friends . I didn't take anything serious . I'm a very friendly guy you don't have to be afraid with me you can joke with me .
Feng we are here!
Alright we are here so let's go . Where do you wanted to go now to the girls section or to something else like arcade because it would be so fun to play in the arcade . So what do you think about it ?
Well Feng i came with you here because to enjoy my weekend with you so of course i ain't gonna choose the girls section now i would like to go to the place that you like and do what you like today. So you're the one who is going to choose where are we going and what are we are going to do.
Okay i get it. So let's go to the arcade now then after playing few games we are going to watch a movie i heard that my friend said there's new Hollywood movie was out now let's check it out later Xin . Okay for now we are going to the arcade .
" When we we're playing in the arcade deep inside my heart i felt something very good . It's like I'm on cloud nine that's the first time that I'm experiencing such high level of joy with a friend although i have spent many good times with my best friend and my family i have never had such joy but this is the first time I'm having so much fun . As a introvert i have never talked to any new persons especially with girls but this is the first time I'm having so much fun with a girl and also I'm just being normal just like i would be around my family and my best friend but I don't know what is the reason behind it and at the same time i doesn't want to her to leave nor i wanted to go back to my house . If i could rewind the time i would just make this day repeat and repeat this day because I'm totally a different person and I'm the most happiest person in the world today . I just wanted to be with her so that i could create more amazing and cool memories with her. "
Hey Xin i feel hungry now i wanted to eat something .
I'm starving too Feng. Let's go grab some food. What do you wanted to eat Feng ? What is your favorite food and drinks ?
Well before i tell you what is my favorite food and drinks i would like to know what is yours first . So come on tell me Xin ?
My favorite food is kimchi stew and my favorite drink is orange juice. Okay now i have . already told you about my favorite food and drinks now its your turn to tell.
Okay okay I will tell don't worry . My favorite food is sushi and my favorite drink is apple juice . So, which restaurant we should go now ?
Let's go to the sushi restaurant then. I never tried it before so i wanted to give it a try today. So let's go! Hey Feng wait a minute please someone is calling me right now ....
To be continued ....... |
Chapter 2
Annoyed... Fort was more than annoyed by the messages he read as another of his relationships came to an end.
At his age, he had been hoping to finally have someone by his side for a long time, and as he, or anyone else, thought about his position, he found himself thinking about who wouldn't want to have someone like him as their long-time life partner.
Fort was rich, famous, well-known, as well as handsome. Did I mention rich? He was much more successful in that respect than many could ever hope for.
His money didn't come only from his family's business, but also from all the fame he had built up for himself, even though his father thought it was all useless...
As a matter of fact, the older man always told him that it was all futile and that all this love would only last a while until the next handsome young face came along to replace him in all his fans' hearts.
It was a sad reality that affronted many who work in the entertainment industry, and many were unable to say they were capable of overcoming it.
Therefore, back to the messages on his phone, Fort found himself questioning if it was what was happening to him... If all his fame was what had ended his romantic life once again.
At first, his lover, or rather, former lover, had told him that he loved all that attention. He was a young YouTuber, a fresh model, who was still getting to know that side.
They were at an event where they both took part, and the second time they saw each other again was when Fort's team invited some new faces to his concert as part of their marketing.
It was a simple 'like' on social media all it took to get both men to go on a date before they started going out immediately after such events.
Everything was fine between them as far as Fort knew about it, so none of that made sense to him.
The idea that he wanted a more simple relationship... Without too much attention... Without fans after them twenty-four hours a day... None of that made sense when he remembered how many times the other man had told him that he loved this all.
Red carpets were his favorite ones, as they always made him feel like a real celebrity, even if Fort had never treated him differently.
"I'm free for the rest of the day, right? I'm going back home!"
Barely waiting for his manager to answer him, Fort grabbed his jacket from his chair, quickly putting it on as he left the dressing room while taking long strides to his car, not listening to any of the people following after him.
He knew that they all should already know about everything before him. He knew they should be aware of everything by now, explaining everyone's strange behavior since they had met that morning.
It was almost as if they were hiding something from him, but no matter how many times he asked, the answers they gave him were always the same, while they had very fake smiles on their faces as they tried to pretend that everything was fine.
And so, driving as fast as he could, he attempted to put such thoughts away from his mind, turning on the radio, only to turn it off a few seconds later when his phone notification rang once again.
Comments left by fans were what showed up to him now.
"He is much better without you now!"
"I knew he must be straight!"
"When will he stop pretending?"
"I'm so happy they finally broke up! P'Fort deserves something better!"
"Why were they even together in the first place, besides all the marketing?"
Those were the words of the people who disliked when he was with the man he loved, of those who said they supported his decisions and him as an artist, despite everything...
He had come out years ago when he dated a model, and a kissing picture of them showed online. It would be hard to pretend it never happened when they were so easy to see it was him on them that only a silly person wouldn't believe it was him.
So trusting that his fans would understand him, he confirmed their relationship back then without imagining that new rumors like those would arise after it.
Many said it was just his way of getting attention, to try to become more popular since he hadn't any talent besides his family's money.
Words that once again returned to his mind like a playlist on repeat until he finally reached the street to his house, turning the car to the right, driving a little further until the big gates of the mansion stood before him.
However, he cannot go in right away as it was his wish.
HONK! HONK!
Getting even angry, he blasted the horn to get the boy, who appeared to be a teenager, out of his way.
But not even a finger moved as he kept staring back at the car, not knowing what to do next...
And it didn't please Fort at all while his mere wish was to go back to the comfort of his home and the laughs of his son before his father interfered between them, telling him how he had warned him that it would happen.
So, after hesitating for a moment, he lowered the car window, checking the boy once more before he decided to get out of the vehicle, taking his frustrations out on someone else, even if only for a short while.
"Are you going to keep standing there? Or will I need to run over you to get you out of my way?"
That was all he had to say to make the boy shake in fear before him, and despite the distance, he could yet see it clearly from behind his sunglasses. A 'tsk' escaped his lips when Fort went back to his car after hearing the weak apology that wasn't even enough to fight back against him.
" He must be just a curious teenager wondering about his celebrity neighbor after moving here."
Thinking to himself, he didn't want to spend much more time of his thoughts on that as he parked the vehicle, being greeted by the little Wayo as soon as he opened his door, which made it impossible for him not to notice how his son's new nanny wasn't with him as usual as the family's housekeeper was the one keeping him company...
"Yo... What did you do this time?"
... Putting a hand on his forehead, Fort felt that his headache was only beginning that day.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
Prologue
The loud crow was more than excited, screaming the name of Fort. Yet things could only get hot when the man in his thirties showed up on the stage.
If one suspected how famous he was, that was the perfect moment to remove such doubts from their minds...
Fort Prakarn wasn't known only due to his wealthy family, owner of a hotel chain and a few resorts as well. The man was full of talents, which soon bloomed when he joined the entertainment world.
His singing career was going very well, and all the fans present in another successful concert of his was excellent proof of that.
So, when he started to sing the last song of the evening, it wasn't a big surprise how sad everyone in the hall became, asking him for an encore out loud while putting a smile on Fort's face.
The man knew how much his fans loved him, yet a recent fight with his father left a big doubt in Prakarn's mind...
And sadly, there wasn't anyone with whom he could share it at the moment.
"And well... Since everyone was so nice and welcome to our sponsors for today, they allowed me to sing one more song, so let me see if you guys can remember this one."
As if everyone in there wasn't already aware that the concert's big sponsor was his sister brand, the singer mentioned after saying all the brands' names gratefully while joking around with his fans.
He asked them if they had bought the new products he was promoting and, even who had already tested them, making sure to say how it must be why everyone looked even more beautiful today...
Words that could sound like a lie but which Prakarn truly meant.
And after a couple of days, the magic was still there as they gave a more than happy smile on one of his fan's face while she watched the videos she had recorded before her mother made her stop what she was doing to wake up her young brother...
Who was later once again.
"Phraphai, this is the last time I will call you nicely. If
maè
makes me come here again, I will show her what you hide behind your posters."
Although it wasn't very nice of her to threaten her brother with that, the woman was more than annoyed that she hadn't finished editing the videos and pictures to share with her friends and followers yet due to her job.
"You can't do that, sister!"
Besides, she also knew it would wake Phraphai right away, being it her favorite trick since she found out about his posters' secret when she was in college.
"Get up then, or I will." Treating him once more, she said before Fort's voice took her attention to her phone, which she soon picked up while saying one last thing to her brother before leaving his room... "Mom said you have an interview today, so I would hurry up if I was you since it's almost ten."
That definitely made the poor Phraphai jump off his bed right away as he was reminded of his work interview and how his parents would kill him if he missed it again because he arrived later.
It wouldn't be the first or second time that it happened to him, but as he hushed through the streets of Bangkok, who would imagine, it would be his fault this time as the traffic was just too bad that morning.
Of course, his mother had already told him more than once to wake up earlier to avoid this kind of situation the last couple of days...
But back to the annoyed young man, he could only put on his earphone, trying to forget about another failed interview with music while leaving the hotel without realizing how his path crossed with his sister's favorite singer.
And since that moment, Fate was already pulling some strings, ensuring it wouldn't be the only occasion where Prakarn and Phraprai would run into each other... After all, things shouldn't end just like that.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
It's Friday 6.30 am while waiting for my van i was scrolling down my Tik tok. Friday is my favorite day because everything that happens on Friday has made me happy and that day when i was born so, my mom always used to tell to me that everyone's birthday would be their luckiest day . So just like that my birthday is my luckiest day out of all the seven days . But, this Friday i felt something deep inside my heart that it isn't going to be a ordinary day for me . After fifteen minutes my school van arrived then by 7.12 am i arrived at the school . When i enter the school once again my heart started to pounce very fast and it was desperately trying to say something to me but I can't get it. So i went straight up to the classroom . I went there to my classroom and i cheated with some of my friends and i put my back and water bottle then went to block F to see my friend in that block . Since my school is very big it has 6 blocks and I'm from E block. I went to see my friend and then we both played online game together for a while until the teacher came into the class and I went back to my class . While going back to my class i saw a wallet was dropped on the floor . I was panicked and i took the wallet to found out who is the owner of this wallet . Then i found out that that wallet belongs to a girl named Xin . Well this is where all begins .
First i went the teacher who is in charge for that week and i gave her the wallet and told her about how i found it . Then i walked back to my class on the way back to my class i saw the girl in the photo inside of the wallet walking pass me . I knew that she was going to get her wallet back but something makes my heart to stop and talked to her but since i have social anxiety and i never even talked to a girl i just walked back to my class. Then the class went as usual boring but yet still i get to learned something new . After 3 hours of boring class the bell has ringed . Then me and my freinds went to the canteen to eat . My freinds and i were eating while talking about the incident that happened to me in the morning . Then suddenly a girl approached me from behind and she touched my shoulder and called me and told me to wait at the library after the school is over . I turned my head and i saw her that was her it's Xin. I was surprised because that's the first time a girl really approach me and even told me to wait for her Infront of the library. Once again my heart started to tell me something but i can't understand what does it wanted to tell to me . After the school over i went to the library and i waited for the girl after few minutes she approached me then this is where a very big change in my life has begun . We both talked but she is the one who begin to talk to me first the conversation pretty much went like this . " Hi I'm Xin im from 5c class and you ? " "My name is Feng it's really nice to meet you Xin " Thanks for the wonderful help I'm really thankful for you because inside if that wallet has money that I brought to buy some important books for the upcoming midterm exams . Thankfully you found the wallet if someone else's found it they must've took the money but you are so generous you gave it to the teacher when you found it . Anyways it's really nice to meet you Feng anyways can I get your phone number maybe we can hangout this week Saturday. Well if you interested you can give your number . Well of course i would give my number this is my number. Bye Xin see you later i would message you when I'm free. Okay Feng bye have a good day.
To be continued ............. |
Chapter 1
"Yo? Wayo?! This boy's name could be
Payu
or anything else instead! But I confirm to you, sir. I can no longer take care of your grandchild!"
Anger poured down from the words of Wayo's most recent babysitter, whom he had managed to strip out the last trace of patience remaining in her with success.
She was a person very calm and tranquil, to the point his grandfather had sworn she would last longer than the others because of that.
Yet it clearly proved to be wrong as he looked at the mischievous little boy who hid behind his door when their eyes met.
The little one knew that what he had done was wrong, and as much as the older man didn't like the woman saying that his grandson was destructive like a storm, he was sure that Yo had given her plenty of reasons to say so.
"Sir... If you don't mind, I may know someone perfect to take care of young master Wayo."
However, sometimes the most unfortunate situations for someone can turn out to be good for others.
And it was what the family steward thought when he remembered how his childhood friend had asked him for help in order to find a job for his youngest child.
The man distinctly remembered Phraphai, and how smart he had always been from a young age, more than capable of helping a child with his homework while also taking care of him.
Another positive thing was his age. Phai was considerably young compared to all the other nannies that his boss had hired to take care of the young master Wayo, and well...
Good stamina was something anyone would need while dealing with him, especially when the boy decided to run away through the gardens and long hallways of the mansion when he didn't want to study, making it hard for even his father to catch him.
Therefore, it was easy to imagine that anyone younger would be much better than a woman in her late thirties or older, like Wayo's last nanny. And it was how a couple of days later, Phraphai found himself in front of the big mansion, wearing a suit that he never imagined he would wear in his life.
"... Uncle told me it was an interview to work as his assistant, but he never told me they were THIS RICH!"
Amazed, that was all Phraphai could think of in front of the closed gates, understanding now why he had been told to wear that kind of outfit...
Working as an assistant for that family should be very different from anything he had imagined all the way there.
Phai didn't even realize that he was actually doing an interview to take care of Wayo. His parents had asked his
uncle
not to tell him anything about the actual job, stopping the young man from deliberately missing this chance on purpose this time.
After all, who would want to take care of a six-year-old after graduating from college when it had nothing to do with their degree?
By no means it was the ideal job Phraphai or his parents dreamed for him.
However, they hoped it would help him learn how to handle the responsibilities that adult life would bring to him.
They both felt they might have spoiled Phai a little too much as he was their youngest, the baby of the family.
So they more than wished he could learn his lesson while working as Wayo's babysitter... And taking a deep breath without knowing much about what was really waiting for him, he was about to ring the bell...
HONK! HONK!
...But before his finger could even touch it, the loud sound of a car horn startled him when the vehicle stopped behind him before he heard the loud sound once more, almost as if it was ordering him to get out of the way.
"Are you going to keep standing there? Or will I need to run over you to get you out of my way?"
The voice of the tall man who got out of the car was obviously angry, yet Phraphai couldn't help but think he recognized it from somewhere, even if he was unsure since he couldn't see the man's face as it was hidden behind his sunglasses.
"
Kho-thot krap!
" And with a simple apology, he stepped aside, giving the car all the space it needed to pass when he was left standing there, watching the gate close before him while Phai wondered what kind of family his uncle worked for.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
Hi I'm Feng, unlike others my life is not very smooth nor happier, but first of all i wanted to tell about myself . I'm Lim Feng and I'm 17 years old boy who is going to sit for an public exam . Anyways, I'm good with studies though but my real problem is social anxiety. Well for others its a very normal thing but for me it always been my biggest challenge or should I say it a curse because in my entire teenage lifetime i never had many freinds nor went for a date . I have only two freinds and one if them is my mom and another one is my best bro . These two are my best friends and i share everything with them .
Although, i knew I had these problem but, i ignored it . Not until one day it has become a bigger problem in my entire life and that day changes my life into what I'm now today. Now i'm going to tell the most scariest but still a awesome story to you all .......
To be continued ........ |
[it's just in. We're unfortunate to announce that the Arch Blade party, one of the Gold-rank parties of the Guild has been confirmed wiped out inside the dungeon. It seems the tragic incident happened after the party get back on their expedition to the 41st floor after their victory at the 40'th floor boss.
According to the survivors, they were supposed to survey the area of the 41st before going back. But suddenly, on their lowest guard, they were ambushed on the 39th floor by a parade of Morlocks who they claimed they completely eradicated when on their way to the 40th floor. It was recorded that the "Arch Blade Party" are all high ranks individuals and one of the most anticipated parties that can conquer one of the Eight Grand dungeons...]
Silently listening to the newscaster on tv, was a man donned with a kimono, adorned with printed bamboo trees. He sat on a pillow before the knee-height table, which was filled with simple breakfast dishes such as fried rice, sunnyside-up egg, dumplings, and soup all on each plate. He has yet to touch any of these foods as he indulges himself with a cup of coffee.
The morning light slips to the curtains, as it warms the living room. Outsides the open doors, birds sang cheerfully from the few trees that surrounded the house. It was a peaceful morning like always, and not even tragic news such as this can ruin his mood. Though, there is someone who had a hint of concern about the news.
Standing behind him, was an old man in a black suit. It was only just a nuance, but it was enough to understand that man seems to be interested in the news as he stood like a statue with his full attention on the screen.
"You know that party?" the man in the kimono asked.
"Kind of... My daughter was always a fan of high-rank parties in the central continents. One of them was that Arch Blade, which is rising in popularity lately. It's unfortunate that this marks the end of their adventures. My granddaughter will be probably dismayed if she sees this..."
"Unfortunate indeed..." he said before taking a sip. "The grand dungeon is just an overpowered dungeon. Normally you just need to match the strength of the monster inside to conquer it. But at this point, I'm starting to believe that overwhelming power is just isn't enough."
"Perhaps those dungeons were rigged with riddles on the lowest floor only those who possess a sharp mind can solve." The man in a black suit suggested.
"That may be true, those dungeon is completely different from others, so I won't be surprised if it had something like a trial that involves mental strength. However..." the man in the kimono said looking far outside the open door, somewhere the vast mountains and tall rock formations erected.
"Our men possess both strength and intellect that cuts above the average, but even them hasn't come back. We don't know the mysteries lie on the lowest floors, but one thing's for sure it seems cannot be conquered by normal means, otherwise, it wouldn't have remained standing there since its appearance."
The man in black takes a couple of seconds to digest those words before he replied. "So normally overpowered people won't just cut it... I wonder what kind of people would be able to conquer it.
"I have no idea." The man said as he returned his cup of coffee to the saucer.
"...But Perhaps people that deviate from the norm and have unique sets of abilities, If they form a party and can have perfect synergy skills that complement one another to make up for their weakness, and can create the best strategy suited for any enemy. Perhaps that might gained them even the slimmest of a chance."
"A party of deviant individual, with a perfect understanding of everyone's strength, and devise a cunning plan is it? Hmm..." the man with a black suit cup his chin in thought.
"For some reason... Isn't it a strategy of..."
"An MMORPG... At least that's what my son told me before he left... he claimed bonds and friendship are not required to form an efficient team. Awareness was. If anyone is aware of anyones role and what they should do, then they can succeed. He just based his solution on online games. That kid..." the man in the kimono sighed in amusement. "But thinking about it, I guess what he said makes sense."
"The young master is hardcore gamer... and quite famous as well in online for being a higher-rank player. And in real life, he possesses high levels of techniques and spells that some remain a mystery. Perhaps the strategy of the game can be applied in a dungeon. He may have a shot as one of those deviant people."
"I wonder if it's that simple."
The man chuckled at that sentiment before he another takes sip.
"But he's a deviant alright. Even so, I'm not optimistic that he will succeed with just that. The nature of his magic has never been suited inside that place." |
Part 2
The Mage's eyes open wide, as she saw the outstretched arm stopping before her face. And before the monsters, in front of her, was the back of a man in casual clothes, suddenly appearing in between.
What happened next was a fleshed rendering sound followed by blood bursting in the air. The man bored his sword deep into its chest.
Everything happened so fast. Both the monster and the man. The Mage was lost in her thoughts processing just had transpired.
"Are you alright?" Those words snapped her back to reality as the man turned around.
"Y-yes... thank you."
"Livia! " the archer asked in concern as she jugged towards her "are you all right?" The swordsman and the dwarf followed behind her.
"You really save us back there. I'm Aldo, the leader of this party. I can't thank you enough for saving our friend." Aldo, the swordsman offered his name and his gratitude towards Xen.
"Not at all." Xen shrugged. His gaze fell on the monsters and started, "I actually watched you guys fight the monster from afar. After you it took down, I noticed that there was a creature crawling out of one of the wounds you inflicted on the Urzyks. I was surprised that non of you guys even notice it. So I decided to take the initiative to kill it. Well... Then again, I broke the unwritten rule so I have to apologize for that."
Adventurers are people who venture to the unknown and hunt monsters in exchange for gold. Any materials they collected from monsters were also bought by the guild, so those who want to earn extra aside from the commissioned quest, have to fight the monsters meticulously to make sure not to damage the materials as possible. This can't be donned without proper knowledge of monsters, and the preparation needed to hunt with the most effective method. Out of courtesy, adventurers were ought to avoid going near a battle with a risk of ruining their strategy. This is also the reason why adventurers try not to bump into each other.
Well, we indeed have that unwritten law. But is he the type to sweat the small stuff?
Aldo thought as he smile wryly.
"No no don't be ridiculous, you save us from doing that. Besides, the rules only apply on a hunt. Our battle was way over at that point."
"Well, that's true..."
"Uhmm..." the mage hummed which caught Xen attention, "Thank you for saving me back there, I'm Livia." The mage, Livia introduced herself. The elf beside her followed, gracefully bowed as she introduced herself.
"Greetings to you sire. My name is Alea, I'm grateful for saving my friend back there.""And this one right here is Delg." The dwarf chimed in with a jaunty smile. His lustrous beard was neatly tapered under his chin. He wore a full set heavy armory which portrayed his role of the part as a defender.
"Yes, no worries. Oh right, I haven't introduced my self yet. I'm Xen, a traveler. Our meeting might be short but it's pleasure to meet you." Xen nodded lightly.
"The pleasure is ours lad."
"Hmm... Sir Xen is a traveler, is that right?"
"Yes, I'm traversing this forest all the way to Naynhard."
"Heh?"
"Yup, ah, It be rude for me to take your time any further so I would take my leave. Good speed guys."
Xen ignored the surprised Aldo as he turned his heels and walked away. But after a few steps, the Delg called out.
"Oi lad, are you serious?"
"I wouldn't be here if I'm not?" Xen plainly answered which left Delg speechless. The two ladies also wore a face of disbelief.
"R-right! We're actually going further from here. Why don't we go together for the time being? What do you say?"
"That's a great idea, Solitude is fine and all, but it never hurts to have company in the meantime."
It wouldn't sit well with them to part here when they were going in the same direction so Livia proposed to let Xen join them which Alea promptly supported. Aldo and Delg also add their statements showing their agreement.
"Indeed, Let us at least repay you for helping us. It's getting tougher from here on out, you may not need our help but we can somehow lessen your troubles along the way."
"You can watch us how we fight monsters on the front seat, eh," Delg added.
"Oi!"
"What?"
"Hmm..." Xen hummed in thought. After a short while, he replied. "Well, if you wouldn't mind, then please take care of me.
The adventurer cheered having Xen take their offer.
_________________
After they finished their business with the urzyk, The adventurer party with Xen in tow proceeded together toward the furthest depths of the forest.
Alea led the way as the scout. Following behind her were Aldo and Delg. Behind them were the rear guard Livia, and Xen. They reached the territory that only a few adventurers can reach so it was expected that more dreadful monsters will be there to greet them. However, due to Alea's effort of scouting and throwing monster-repellent balls to some particular areas, they avoided any confrontations against the monsters and were proceeding relatively smoothly with leisure to have a chat.
Just as Xen surmised, Aldo's party was indeed a high-ranking party named "lotus hope, which was quite famous for having a good track record for completing several difficult quests. Individually they were all rank b adventurers, they were rank A as a party. With a reputation to uphold, they were commissioned by a guild to a task no common adventurer party can take. And that is to investigate an area in the deep region.
Before Xen came here, he already heard quite a few tales lately about the forest; The number of monsters prowling around was rising in numbers. High-ranking monsters getting spotted in shallow areas. And there weres reports of new monsters flying here and there. The number of casualties among adventurers was rising each day.
As the guild doesn't have the power to ban the adventurer from entering the forest, they instead gave strict notice to those who are still attempting to take a quest concerning the Vilpora forest. The people also felt the gravity of the situation and voices their concern for their safety. With this unpredicted crisis within the forest, the guild decided to send an investigation team to quell the budding unrest of the townsfolk.
However, they never heard about those people ever again.
The guild can't afford another failure, so they gave this task to the reputed Lotus Hope.
"The forest was already dangerous to begin with, and now it became even more precarious. Just a moment ago, there's that unknown parasitic monster that you save Livia from. It's plain as a day that there's something going on with the forest." Aldo stated.
"I heard this infamous forest for some time now, but this is my first time here in time, so I don't know exactly what it is considered as norm. I just fought my through like I always do. Though there are indeed a lot of monsters. I was a little surprised by the frequent encounters I had."
Xen said in agreement.
"Oh right... you mention that you're a traveler is that right lad?" Delg asked, recalling their exchange earlier.
"Yes, I'm on a pilgrimage to hone myself and broaden my horizon. I've been in places of danger on several occasions, fighting monsters in name of my training. And when I heard about this forest I decided to have a go."
"Wow... I-I'm speechless... You must have been gone through crazy hard tranin', that amazin' lad" Delg praised him for his diligence.
"Yeah, this place wasn't a regular monster nest you know. Only a few adventurers can reach this far. But look at you, on your own, you reach this far seemingly unscathed." Livia said."And you did it with simply casual clothes." Delg jested,
"Well, I don't really have combat garments or armor on me. I saw myself as a traveler not an adventurer, so I did not give a thought of buying one even though I'll be fighting monsters eventually."
"Right right, Now that you mention it, why not don't you join a guild? Since you're already hunting monsters and all, and traveling to different places. Becoming an adventurer will give an easy pass to any country. Plus you can have the guild buy all your spoils. You're already strong and all, It wouldn't take long for you to rise up in rankings." Also suggested.
"That doesn't sound bad, I'll think about it."
Meanwhile, up ahead of the party, Alea was looking at a distance. However, it's her eyes didn't focus anywhere, and seems preoccupied with her thoughts. After a while, she would then throw something far away in the vicinity, which was probably the monsters-repellant balls."I must say, Alea is doing well in keeping the monsters away."
Alea's long tapered ears twitch as she managed to hear Xen praising her. She looked back at him wearing a smug face.
"Hehehe, impressed. It's all thanks to these repellent balls. This was made by our prize alchemist back in the guild."
"There's that. But you've also been using your familiars to scout several areas and guiding us to the least amount of monsters."
"How perceptive of yo-...Wait, did you just locate my familiars!?" Livia asked, visibly surprised. Familiars were creatures that were bound through spell contracts. It can either be a summoned creature from an unknown realm or a tamed regular monster or animal in this world. Livia's party was already using familiars from the start though they never really told Xen about it. Their familiars were basically tamed common birds which would be formidable to distinguish from the rest nor sense from afar by an outsider.
Our To sense it this far, just who is this guy? Livia stared at Xen with wide eyes. Even Delg and Aldo can't hide their awe.
However, Xen followed up with an explanation and cleared their misunderstanding.
"uhh... I'm not. I just notice by Alea's gestures. It seems like you're speaking to something we can't see. So assume you're using familiars to scout the area. But based on your reaction, it seems I was right"
"O-oh I see. But It's amazing you can deduce that much."
"Hehe, You're one cunning lad."
"..."
Alea awkwardly nodded having her assumption was wrong nonetheless impressed by how observant he was. Delg also said in agreement. Perhaps all of them thought the same.
"With my familiars, I can scout anywhere from afar and avoid any confrontation as possible. We wouldn't want to compromise our resources before we arrive at our destination after all."
"Yep, That would be disastrous. you got your priorities right. Others would be tempted to hunt if they saw walking bounty."
"Well, This isn't a place we can afford that luxury, Besides we are escorting a VIP so It's best to avoid confrontation as we can." Added Aldo, explaining Alea's stance further.
"...Is that so, here I thought I'll be watching you guys fight just as delg said."
"Wha—!" Delg caught off guard was speechless. He indeed said that part to make Xen agree to join them on their crusade temporarily. Of course, he was only joking that time. So definitely this was Xen just teasing them. But his tone was flat and he sound serious which made Delg feel that he dig his own grave.
"W-well, only if there's a monster right?" Delg pointed out. Not intended dismissing his remarks as a joke and decided to push through with it. This way, he saves his face and his party.
"...Yeah..."
"Right! it's better to be on the safe side."
"What!" Alea suddenly exclaimed which stop the party in their tracks. They can tell the seriousness of the matter which is reflected on her face.
"What is it." Aldo stepped up. But before she can tell him, Xen spoke causally, giving him the answer.
"It seems multiple entities are heading this way."
"And those are?"
At that moment, a familiar howl echoed in the area. The sound of rumbling footsteps like cascading thunder got louder. At the end edge of the trees, large wolves, three meters in height step out, dashing on their way.
"Dire wolves, damned! a whole pack is surrounding us."
"Ah fuck! How the hell sniff us with those stones we threw."
Aldo and delg brandished their weapons and immediately moved into position. Then Aldo with his sword and delg beside him fetched his shield on his back and held it before him. His other hand was holding a mace for the offense. The mage braced her staff behind them. And the elf move further behind, aiming his already loaded bow at the approaching wolves.
"Though wolves may hate the stone repellant since they have a keen sense of smell. But direwolves can smell the prana of any being." Xen calmly provided answers as he went to the side."
"Wait they do?" Aldo asked not hiding his confusion.
"Yeah, wait, you didn't know?"
"ughh..."
"Well, looks like your wish came true lad," Delg said with a shallow grin.
"Yeah, I'll just stand here and watched."
"..."
Delg looked at Xen with his jaws left hanging. Others were also looking at him exasperated. It seems Xen was serious after all.
"Guys they're coming." Aldo snapped back as the wolves were getting closer. Or that it was supposed to happen.
"Huh...?"
"They... stopped?"
Both the Aldo and the delg voiced their confusion. They gazed beyond the glade where a row of wolves began barking vehemently. It appears none of them seem to take a step further, just like letting their barks send their frustration and anger on them.
The swordsman was staring at the seemingly alpha wolf which was larger than the rest. It growled lowly with eyes gazing sharp. Just like its kin, he doesn't have the intention to pursue. It can only convey its rage through those sharp eyes that could kill a weak-hearted man.
The alpha wolf let out a lone bark before it turned its feet and withdraw. The rest of the pack reluctantly followed suit.
"They withdraw just like that. Hehe... Did they get cold feet?" The dwarf jested as he relaxed his stance. The rest also lowered their weapons.
The mage placed her hand on his chest as she sighed in relief.
"Whatever the reason, it's good that they're gone.
The elf hang her bow on her back as she walked to the party.
"However, those wolves' behavior is just too strange don't you think."
She cast his gaze to where the wolves retreated to. The wolves were no longer there, but the way how their encounter ended left quite a mystery.
It was hard to imagine that these monsters chased them a great distance and then just give up when the prey started to fight back. A coincidence that seems too good to be true. These monsters were dying to get their fangs on these adventurers so it's hard to believe that they became all suddenly intimidated by the adventurers. And unmistakably, the face they flashed wasn't that of fear.
"From how they act, they seem afraid to approach this area."
"Perhaps this might be a territory of something much more dreadful... is like what I want to say. But we already combed the whole area and found no traces of monsters." Livia said, stating her observation. Cupping his chin in thought, the Aldo voiced out his conjecture.
"I know right, that's why it's strange. Just what is going on here?"
"Or maybe they're warning us."
"What?"
"Didn't you those dreadful faces, it's they vehemently warning us not to approach their territory."
"Woah, that's the first time you offered something that makes sense."
"Shut yer yap!"
"Well whatever that is we could think of it later, we shouldn't dwell here too long." Aldo glance at Xen who still gazing in the direction of the wolves.
"Those wolves were probably...."
"Sir Xen?"
"Yes, let's get a move on."
Xen cast one final glance at that place before he walked away. The party resumed their journey, with Aldo furtively glancing at him. |
"Ladies and gentlemen! We stand at the precise of our potential! We size up the land we tread upon, and stare at the mountaintop that those more fortunate to us call home! Is it fair that we can never reach the stars as they do so easily?! Is it fair that we are left to bleed and rot while they flourish?! I am sick of it! Sick of it all! Instead of helping those struggling to live, fighting for everything they have only to die of Voids... they pull the ladder away and watch us like we're diseased beasts!"
"No longer!"
"No longer will the rich and powerful look down upon us! No longer will they laugh as they hold all the cards! No longer will they control us with their World Order"
"This is the day we make them bleed the way we have for generations! This is the day we take what is rightfully ours!"
"The day we upturn the world." |
Part 3
Occasionally, they would sneak past some troublesome monsters especially those with threats higher than the urzyk. But for those monsters they can't avoid conflict, the party quickly dealt it without needing Xen's help.
After a couple of hours, the sun rose to its zenith. They found a clean spot on a nearby stream and rest there for a moment.
"This place will do. Delg, please prepare a campfire, while we prepare the ingredients." Livia requested Delg to prepare a fire in preparation for their lunch.
"Righto!" Delg gladly comply and scuttered on the surroundings to find some dry branches.Livia grabbed her bag on her belt and fetch a small pouch engrave with runic patterns.
"Release."
By her words, all contents came rushing out of the pouch. Piles of effects lay on the ground including utility equipment like tables chairs and camping tools, ingredients such as vegetables and wrapped meat, and vials containing condiments.
Xen stared at the mound of jumbled stuff as Alea join Livia in sorting them up.
"Why did unload them all at once?" Xen asked with a baffled tone.
"Well...That's because we have no control over it."
"..."
Unmoved, Xen stared at her and Livia stared back as well. His gestures just now hinted to her that Xen was confused so she then explained how the magic bag works.
The magic bag is a magic item that stored a subspace in which things can be kept. It was as if all things stored inside were shrunk down including their weights. If part of an object was put on the entrance, the bag will distort the space and suck the thing inside it no matter its size. Though the downside was that, they have no way of picking the items individually as it was stored in a subspace. Thus, they have to unload everything just to pick up the specific items. Nevertheless, it very convenient tool for transportation and it definitely costs a hefty price in the market.
"Thats... a lot of work huh."
"Have you never seen a magic bag before?"
"...I have, but I never knew this has that kind of downside."
In my case, I have the void-storage magic to store up my stuff and can pull out whatever I desire in an instant. It's a good thing that I learn this magic at an early stage.
If he hadn't done so, he would have probably struggled as well on a mound of things every time he want to get some things inside.
"Yes, but... it a thousands time better than carrying all the heavy stuff in an actual bag."
"Guys there were fishes here!" Aldo shouted from the embankment of the stream."Oh! is there?" Delg jolted up excitedly.
"Yeah, I'll go fishing for a bit. Might you want to try as well Sir Xen." Aldo offered since He was the only one who doesn't have anything in his hand.
Xen walked towards the stream and looked down into the waters. Below the clear running water was several fishes swimming around.
"There lots of healthy fishes here. Do you have a fishing rod?"
"you don't have to use fishing rod with this kind of water. Just a simple spear is enough." Aldo grinned producing a pair of sticks in his hand.
Livia and Alea were working together as they cooked the dishes they prepared. On the other hand, Xen and Aldo were busy spearfishing. After preparing the campfire, Delg goes around and spread smoke-repellant bags around the vicinity to ward off the monsters. After that, he decided to watch from the large rock sitting on the stream.
"I caught 10 already." Xen beamed as he raised his wooden spear, with a fish pierced on top, out of the water, satisfied with the amount he had caught.
"You're really good a this." Aldo complimented as he stored his latest catch in his basket. So far, he only got five.
"You, know there's this method of throwing rocks where you can stunned fishes—"""No."" Both of them shut Delg flatly.
"You kill the rest of the fishes with that." Xen said.
"Hehehe, I know. I was once used that method after me mom ordered me to exterminate piranhas in our river. It's super effective."
"Yeah, I can picture that clearly." Aldo sighed. then, he noticed Xen gaze was stuck on the trees so called out.
"Is there something in the trees?"
"Nothing, it just that area is so dark don't you think."
"Ah... that's the deep region."
"The land of darkeness. Trek for two weeks, and your man will reach at the misty region." Delg said, joining in.
"Woah, that's still a far cry of a distance huh."
"That's just how large this forest was," Aldo said. "On the deep region, more high ranking monsters prowling day and night. Fight a monster and you will probably attract another. So it's advice that you have to kill the monsters quickly and silently, failed to do so, you'll be fighting an endless battle."
"I see..."
Xen chew over those words as looked back to the forest. Later, they will march over that territory, where only a few can survive. The monsters there would be more aggressive and relentless as the adventurers describe, and things would be much harder than before.But Xen had no hint of worries since this is exactly what he came for. To hone his skills, and to know far he can reach.
Now, this is the next stage for him, after succeeding in the previous battles he had.
I had to get stronger in this journey, otherwise, I would stand no chance against that place. So whatever stands in my way... I will face it all. He thought strongly as he unconsciously balled his hand into a fist.
"Hey, are you really going to do it." Xen turned around to face Livia, walking towards the stream. "Your not trying to wrap around the misty region but head straight in to it.""That's my intention," Xen replied, looking back at the forest.
"They said that no one has ever come back from the misty forest before. But actually, there were a few people in the past that claimed they came from that area and glimpse the very hidden world. They said that place is where rank S monsters reside. I thought it was all a myth... we don't have conclusive evidence other than rumors from the past. However, a creature from that place had presented itself in an unexpected way.
"The Red dragon isn't it."
"You know about it." Livia's eyes opened wide. Not only her but Aldo, delg, and Alea, who happened also picked it up for her spot at the campfire were astonished.
"That's a guild's secret, no has made that information public not even to the adventurers." Aldo said in a serious tone. He must be wondering how this young man got access to it. As if he heard his thoughts, Xen kindly provide the answer.
"Really? A man from the bar, told me about it after I buy him a few drinks.""Is he an adventurer. Do you get his name?" Livia asked.
"Not really, I just bought him drinks to tell me some stories. And thats it. I'm not sure if he was an adventurer since he was in civilian clothes. He also had an unkept hair and he's like typical drunkard."
But... I sense a strange air about him.
Recalling his figure and exchanging with him
"..."
Silence lingered around the area as the adventurers mull over his remarks.
"Maybe he's from the party that discover the dragon, you know, he was so drunk absently and disclosed that info to sir, Xen."
"That's a posibility, but, the guild should deal with those guys more thoroughly. Red dragons are ranks A monsters with threats on par of national level. If this information, get's out in public it definitely cause a mass hysteria."
"Will have to informed the guild about this." Livia sighed
"If it's very delicate information, why are seem so ready to disclose that report to me?"
"Well, you're already with us on this journey so you ought to know... plus I'm quite concerned actually that you don't know what you're getting yourself into so I have to give a hint of how strong the monsters you should expect there. Perhaps that will knock some of your senses. But... you already knew that."
"Yeah... I told you, I wouldn't be here if I'm not serious about this." Xen declared as matter of fact, boring his eyes on Livia.
"...Right... Anyway, we don't have a clear picture of why the red dragon moves out from the misty region. But the fact it was killed in the deep region means that there was something else that has much power. And it's causing the monsters to descend to shallow regions."Depending on how it will tuned out, there's a possibility that we would be facing that unknown monsters in our investigation. So uhm... here is the suggestion..."
Livia exhaled deeply and face Xen, eyes tinged with conviction.
"Sir, Xen."
"Hm..."
"Would you like to stick around with us until our investigation is over.""Livia..." Said Aldo.
"I know what I'm asking is absurd but, if this goes on, there a high chance we are going to fail before we even reach that place."
"I agree, Aldo, you know that Livia is almost died from that creature, then there's pack dire wolves. We feign a brave face, but never mind fighting them head on, but we can't even out run those creatures. It's pure luck that they didn't attack us. And just to remind you, those wolves should be on the further side of deep region, but now they set their paws here. This just shows that more high ranking monsters are currently present in deep region. Thing will just get difficult on our end at this point."
Aldo sighed in defeat. He scratched his cheeks awkwardly and confessed.
"Actually, I was planning to asked Sir, Xen too. I'm having doubts if we can even reach that area safely. This isn't the forest that we know, so many strange things is happening. So Sir, will lend you help us a hand. We also provide you a compensation for the troubles just until the mission is over."
"Ok."
"I guess, you you didn't want to huh, you also have things to— wait really!"
Aldo beamed in surprise, not expecting him to answer so readily.
"I'm also interested on that unknown monster. If I can defeat it, then I would be more or less capable of traversing the misty region isn't it?"
"Right, that so... true.." Livia smiled wryly.
"I think I'm starting to understand you betters, fufufu." Bemused, Alea giggled.
"Hahaha, you're really are one hell of a traveler, lad." Deld praised him, nodding.__________________________________After having their lunch, The party resumed their journey, treading through the thick vegetation as they entered the deep region. They use the spreading web of thick roots as a foothold to traverse. Moss crawled on the trunks ivies swayed hanging from the branches. There was a sudden drop in temperature around the area which was noticeably darker due to the clustering of the large trees.
"I'm getting an eerie vibe on this place." Aldo said.
"I can't pick up any presence, there's nothing here."
Alea was a bit on edge as she heightened her senses to uncomely surroundings. Not a song from the birds echoed above, or any other presence of monsters nearby. Contrary to what they were expecting as the region described. The place was ghost quiet. Their footsteps crackled much louder than it seems. and the lack of presence of any creature, and the tall trees blotting out the light just gave this place an eerie aura.
"Hey, don't you think this is the place the wolves were warned us about?" Delg said as he looked around the verdant ceiling.
Livia clutch his staff strongly as she followed behind. Looking at her side, she notice Xen wasn't even bothered as he walked light-footed glancing around like one would at a tourist spot. His relaxed demeanor somehow ease her up as she smiled wryly.
But all of a sudden, Xen stopped in his tracks. Surprised, Livia also stop and watched him curiously.
"Sir, Xen?"
Then, Everyone stopped their pace, wondering why Xen was glued on that spot motionless so the party was curious as he was up to.
"Do you sense something lad?" delg asked. But Xen never replied and just raised his hand gesturing for them to stop.
"I'm not picking any up any presence from my familiars."
"Be prepared guys," Aldo warned, putting his hand on the hilt.
Alea doesn't find anything with her familiars, she strained her ears for any sound but it was to no avail. However this is still a place of danger, so they can't afford to lower their guard down.Xen was an enigma to them with an unclear measure of how strong he might be. But the fact he reached this place on his own proved his worth so they can't dismiss the judgment of his caliber. It is the reason why they decided to ask him for help.
He might be capable of sensing something we cannot. Aldo thought as he looked at Xen. He has masked so they cannot see his face. But the slight gestures of his head told them as he was focusing on something.
______________
It was a prickling sensation that Xen knew pretty well. A feeling that he was familiar with every time he wandered in a place where monsters are frequently searching for prey.There's is something here watching them from shadows.
He turned to the side.
But there isn't a shadow of a creature there. But he felt vaguely past behind these thickets."I'm going to have a look on that place." He said without removing his gaze before he marched away. The party looked at each other but they obediently followed him after.
His intuition led them to a place where lights shine much brighter without much obstruction from the trees.
Large trees surrounded the place bathed in a warm ambiance. The even grass lawn spread over the wide clearing where a fairly large stream was crossing at the middle. Waters flow calmly through the gaps of the large boulder situated in the middle. Overall, the serene atmosphere which gives off a mystical vibe makes it calming at the same time thrilling to the visitor.
An ordinary citizen may find it hard to believe that this place even existed in the deepest area where it's said to be the most dangerous. But for adventurers, this kind of setting is somewhat common. Just not in the deep region.
"Who would have though there was a place like these withing the darkness." Alea marveled at the scene.
"More often than not, a place with a mysterious calming vibe tends, sometimes tends to inhabit's abnormally strong creatures. Lets stay focus." Aldo advised them to curtly. He looked at Xen who nonchalantly walked in with a clear direction.
They eventually stop at the embankment.
Xen looked around the area until his eyes fell on the stream.Clearwater gently slides through the gaps of rocks situated in the middle. Healthy fishes swam around at the bottom.
Though, there was something else out of place, getting dragged by the water."Huh?" Aldo stared blankly.
"Is... that what it seems to be." Delg narrowed his eyes, making sure it wasn't playing tricks on him. And Alea confirmed that it wasn't.
"Yeah... and don't look"
It was plain beige clothes attached to small cups. What they were looking at in the water was lingerie being dragged by the flow all the way to them. Before it could get far, Livia reach her staff and fished the bra up.
"Who do you this bra belongs to?"
"Is anyone here!? Hello!" Aldo shouted letting the other person know his presence. But no voice answered him back.
"Uh.. It probabaly fell form that rock." Xen said, pointing rest of the clothes which were neatly stacked on one of the boulders at the embankment.
"It must have bee fell off, I guess we should return this."
Looking closely at it, it was plain lingerie with a simple embroidered ivy lining on the cup. based on the size, the owner of this lingerie might still have a developing bosom. There's no arguing that this definitely belongs to an adventurer since she was the only person that has the ability to reach this place. Perhaps adventurer doesn't need to have an ostentatious design of lingerie since they didn't come here to show off. They are here to fight monsters after all, so it might a proper attire on this occasion.
One look is enough to tell that this place is perfect for camping. So perhaps someone is taking a dip here after the long grueling hunt.
"Just who would leave their own clothes like this?" Alea wondered as they walked to the boulder where moss coated all over the sides.
"Whoever that is, that person must be a klutz to leave her clothes behind. Does that person perhaps leave the place alone naked? Delg grunted.
"But that would be impossible. No one in the mind will roam the forest naked. So perhaps she just forgot to picked up these clothes after she change to a new ones." Livia argued.
A set of underclothes was piled over light armor which seems to be made of high-quality material clearly belong to a female warrior. She gently put the lingerie back at the top and make sure that it was stable not to fall off again.
"Her weapon is here too."
Xen grabbed one of the swords leaning on the rock. The sheath was fairly decorated by simple engravings and the top part which was reinforced silver metal inscribe an image of seemingly a rock. An edge-free rock actually, like a flattened circle. He hold that part, as he pulled the hilt to have a glimpse of a blade. He stared for a few seconds at the blade which inscribe with geometric patterns before quickly shutting it closed.
"Enchanted sword made of adamantite, To think she will just leave something this powerful sword." He said handing the sword back in its place.
Delg probed the other sword, with his eyes gleaming in wonder.
"Enchanted swords are very hard to forge. This quality is out of this world— this migt be frge by a world class smith!" Delg exclaimed, his bulging eyes seemingly licking the blade.
"All her gears are made to be the top quality and imbued magical reinforcement. Only a high-rank adventurer can afford something like this." Alea said inspecting the clothes from the side.
"indeed, I can't understand why she just left her high grades items here." Xen agreed.
For adventurers, their armor and weapons were their lifelines, especially in a monster nest like this. So it's a given that these people would find the action of this adventurer dumbly confusing. Even a rookie adventurer will never get this careless, much less a high-ranking one. It was probably intentional. And if it is, it only got even more confusing to know the reason why.
As he was been caught up in his head thinking about this conundrum, a short rustle resounded from the bushes near the tree beside the stream.
Surprised by the sudden sound, he reflexively jump backward.
The way he landed to a significant distance from his reaction to a low sound was by no means an exaggeration.
He doesn't know what kind of creature was hidden behind the foliage so it's best to keep some distance. Despite the beauty of this place, He is still in the deep parts of the Vilpora forest, where strong monsters reside. It wouldn't be a surprise if a monster decided to settle here since there was a watering hole present.
One thing he was sure of was that this monster isn't setting ambush since it already gave away its position and he can't feel any hostile intent either.
"Who's there?" he asked sharply.
Everyone was late to react probably because they were immersed in the magic items before them, but they brandished their swords and staff and move into position.
However, Xen's words were only carried away by the wind.
There wasn't a response from the bushes. But Xen never lowered his arm so as the adventurers anticipated every moment. They witnessed how sharp Xen was on sensing things as well as the quickness to react to potential threats. This removed the wonder of how he reached this far and further validated his strength.
Perhaps the creature hiding behind it curl in fear of them.
Or maybe it was preparing to pounce.
Monsters are sometimes unpredictable especially when they are setting an ambush. For that reason, he doesn't let his guard down nor ever shift his eyes, as if his gaze was peering through the bushes.
For a moment he believes that it might be the owner of those clothes. But he already dismissed the idea after he found the sword. He can still allow it if she forgot her clothes, but to forget a weapon behind, the trusted partner that decides your fate was already way beyond the highest order of stupidity.
She is prowling in the depths of the forest, which only the strong can reach. This isn't a place for klutzes.
Counting several reasonable assumptions, he arrived at the conclusion that this unknown creature hiding in the bushes is definitely a monster.
Not just any monster. It's a monster that can skillfully hide its presence from him— which only shows that this monster is not something to be underestimated.
It must be watchful eyes that I was sensing earlier. Xen surmised.
"Uhmm lad... Maybe it's the owner." Delg asked in concern, still thinking that this was the owner. So Xen indulged him in his analysis.
"She would have showed herself otherwise or made a sign if she cant do so. This isn't a human." he said flatly.
He moves one step then another getting closer to the tree. By doing so, Perhaps he might trigger a reaction if he was so close to its arm's reach.He glances back at the clothes. A premonition dawned on him, as he regarded the worst possible scenario.
Perhaps the monster has already—
The rustlings continued intermittently. He peered at bushes curiously, anticipating the creature to come out. And after a few twitches on the leaves, a ball shape translucent creature jumped out in the open.
"A slime?" |
It was raining outside, he could hear that from his desk. The drops ricocheting against the window was a wonderful white noise.
Outside in, new meets old.
They shuffle past the desks and workers, into the crowded elevator. Onto the second floor they made their way closer to him.
"We've all heard great things, Kagari." One spoke, a voice that felt familiar, it continued "I couldn't get your police captain off the phone when I asked him about you."
"It was an honour serving under the Captain! I hope his lessons will help me become a brilliant detective!" The unknown voice roared.
They were getting closer, he could feel it. Closer and closer.
It spoke again, "Well, the board has got big hopes for you. I've assigned you to one of our most experienced agents, he's one of the few I can vouch for... agent Minagawa-"
That was it, the moment they rounded the corner and saw him.
Napping...
They just stood there, in utter disbelief. He started to wake up, yawning and stretching, smiling gleefully. "Ahhh, nothing better than beauty sleep...". He turned and saw them, with a blank expression that sank into panic.
His eyes darted around the room, twisting to view his surroundings. Was he looking for a distraction? Maybe an escape route or worse, a weapon?!
"This isn't the break room!" He announced his discovery and checked back to see if it worked...
It didn't work.
*-*-*
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Okazaki barked. He didn't give him the chance to find his senses before dragging the agent to his office, far from his comfortable seat, even further from the clouds he missed already.
Minagawa leant against the wall, looking through the curtains at the young man his boss had been speaking with.
"Who's the kid?" He asked, ignoring the previous query. Kagari was said kid, eyeing the rows of cubicles with an awkward whimsy, as if an office space could be so magical...
"He's a new starter, fresh from the academy. Not too bright but he's eager to work, wish I could say the same about you." Okazaki slumped into his seat, slapped on a headache patch and activated a smoke charm in one motion.
"Ouch, and here I thought I was your favourite" Minagawa joked, still watching the youngster.
Okazaki didn't react, finishing the first toke and responding with the same burn as the one on the back of his throat. "Don't be a smart ass, not now. I've got six divisions requesting assistance, two meetings about agent effectiveness in the workplace and zero patience for any of it."
Minagawa thought it best to not push his boss further.
Okazaki continued, "With all these riots, things have started to pick up again. The board has very kindly allotted us fresh blood to alleviate the oncoming pressure."
"You mean to get experience before heading back to Gallus?" He retorted.
"What they do with them afterwards is none of your concern. For now, I'm assigning all three of them to the agents without partners... if I'm not mistaken yours quit recently didn't he?" The chief rested his chin on the back of his hands and smiled gleefully.
Minagawa shuddered. He had known Okazaki for years, he knew what he was insinuating immediately.
*-*-*
Okazaki had gathered his agents in the main office, his vets facing him, and the fresh faced newbies standing behind him. The first, the young man from earlier, took a step forward ahead of Minagawa... and kowtowed, so low Minagawa thought he'd hit his head on the ground.
"Lookin' forward to working with you, Senpai!" Hell, if the entire building didn't hear that it'd be a surprise. It was as if every letter was brought to life, ripping through his eardrum and clinking around his noggin like a pinball.
"This can't be happening," Minagawa huffed.
The kid mustn't have heard, he continued his introduction as loudly as before. "My name is Kagari Shōto! My specialty is amplification magic, and my goal is to be a superhero!"
"Superhero?" He questioned, right as soon as the muffle spell activated. "Boss, you can't seriously be putting me with this guy, right?" Minagawa asked, the look on his face was reminiscent of a puppy, trying to win the affection of their owner. But
Okazaki couldn't hear him. He was enjoying the dream, picturing the torment Minagawa would go through, somehow it alleviated the pain in his head.
"Oi... Okazaki?" Minagawa called upon him again fruitlessly.
The chief snapped out of his haze, returning to his role as their boss. "Now then, I believe you all have some work to do. Each of you will be given a selection of calls, I want these completed with haste and tact. If I have any complaints on my desk I'm docking pay." He let that one sit. "Am I making myself clear?!"
The agents groaned.
"Good!" He responded. "Get to work!"
As if the keys to their ignition, his agents were on their way as soon as Okazaki spoke. Their squad cars flooded out the gates, single filed like clockwork. Only one thought caught in Minagawa's mind, this was going to be a very long day.
*-*-*
The street where the station was situated was dubbed the hornets nest, and for this exact reason. Out flew the cruisers, sirens blaring. Rookies had it rough on the first patrol, sat in the passenger side, imagining all of the horrors the underbelly of the city held and the darkness awaiting them. Unlike them, Kagari was thrown into the deep end, driving the squad car head first into the unknown!!
CASE #1!
"Mr whiskeeerrrs~~~~" the old lady called, dithering and helpless. The cat sat in the branches, content with staying put.
Kagari patted the elder's back, "Don't worry ma'am! I'll save your pet!" He reassured her, so pumped for his first assignment. Minagawa lay in the backseat of their car, consumed by the sleeping blanket he brought with him. The only time he moved was to make sure Kagari was still struggling, he had never been happier.
"Jokes on you, Okazaki, this kid'll do all the work and I can catch some sleep! Finally a win for the good guys"
It was just when he was starting to fall into a deep slumber, deeper and deeper, that he remembered Okazaki's words.
"Each of you will have a selection of calls. The last one to complete these, will have to do all the paperwork from today!"
His eyes shot open, and the door unlocked..
Kagari was a few branches up, trying to scale the great oak, each inch up he would call out to the pet. The next branch was the wrong choice, as it snapped in his hand and sent him back to ground zero with a thud. The rookie evaluated his options whilst nursing his now sore derriere. Suddenly, Minagawa stood beside him, activating a mark on his arm. A gust of air blasted out and knocked the cat, along with a few branches, clear from the tree and up into the sky.
Cats always land on their feet right? Well, this one landed on its owner's face... claws first.
"AHHH!" Kagari panicked, rushing to the old lady. "Ma'am are you okay?!"
"Ohhhh, Mr Whiskeerrrss~~~" She repeated.
"Rookie!" Minagawa called, he had already taken his place again, lying in the backseat.
The newbie was a little dumbfounded but quickly adjusted and found his way back to the car.
CASE #2!
"So walk me through it again." Minagawa groaned.
"I walked down the road, minding my own business and this CREATURE was eyeballing me" Said the man in the pink jacket and moon boots (no seriously, moon boots. I have no idea either)
"Uh huh..." Minagawa spoke, barely keeping his eyes open
"Creature?! Hon, I'd advise you look in a mirror, if I knew it wouldn't crack the moment your dog ass looked at it "
Caught in the middle he let out a lengthy sigh as the two argued further
CASE #3!
"Do you prefer red or white?" Said the nice lady holding two dresses, Kagari reviewed both with great focus as Minagawa lay in the backseat sobbing
CASE #4!
"Sir, please stop licking the idol poster, it's disturbing..." Minagawa asked dryly.
CASE #5!
"Which way is Regulus Street?"
"Right next to Romulus Way!" Kagari yapped
CASE #12!
"No, sir, the Black Magic Market is not real"
...
*-*-*
Case #38
"You started it!"
"No! You started it!"
The two agents rolled up to their next case, the day had stretched on so long already, Minagawa hadn't the willpower to even lift his head. But Kagari was loving every second of it, soaking in the experience.
The case this time? Two arguing kids.
The first pushes the other and it becomes a show of strength and shouting. Kagari held his arms out between the two, having to crouch to do so.
"Wow wow. Calm down gentlemen, I'm sure there is a better way to sort this."
The kids jolted back.
"You first sir!" Kagari gestured to the youngster to his right wearing a bright yellow shirt, shorts and blue hat. "Your name?"
The lad wasn't completely sure what was going on, "K-Kota"
"Ok Kota." Taking notes. Now he gestured to the other child without asking. "Kenny..." He responded.
"Good good. Ok gentlemen, one at a time how did this start?". By this point, Kagari's furious note making was getting him some rather strange looks on the street. Minagawa was pulling himself up enough to see what was going on, his face scrunched up as he peered out the window.
"It was him! I got the rare Shining Star card and he took it!" Kenny accused.
Kota didn't like that, "No I didn't! You said I could have it!" he rebuked.
"The plot thickens!" Kagari added. "So who has this card now?"
They both pout. "No one... it fell in that drain" he pointed. "He tried to take it out of my hand, it fell and went down in the water..." Kenny explained, the memory almost made him tear up.
"I can see this is hard for you," Kagari comforted him, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Is this what happened, Kota?"
The boy nodded. "But, I didn't mean it... I just wanted to see it..."
Kagari gathered the evidence, scanning his notes as if there was something he may have missed. Finally he came to a conclusion. "Well gentlemen. I have solved this case".
"Case?" Kenny asked quietly, Kota seemed as confused as him. Kagari mustn't have heard, instead he stood facing them, arms crossed and head high. "Boys, do you value your friendship?" He asked. The two kids looked each other in the eye. Kenny responded unsurely "yes?"
"And this card, is it more important than your friend?"
Again their response was short "n-no"
Kagari slowly lowered himself to their level. "Then don't let it ruin what you have."
They didn't know how to respond. Minagawa continued watching from the cruiser, listening in on the conversation.
Kagari rustled their hair "Friends are hard to come by, especially ones you can trust. They'll cheer you up when you're feeling bad, they'll help you clear games you get stuck on, they'll have your back when things go wrong. You two can't let some stupid card get in the way of your friendship."
The boys looked at each other again.
"I'm sorry I dropped your card," Kota said to Kenny bashfully. Kenny looked upset he didn't speak first "I'm sorry I pushed you..."
*-*-*
The kids had scampered off, and the two agents decided to take a short break on the bench near the park. Kagari looked as energetic as he did that morning. Minagawa however, it was as if he was slung onto the bench, unable to keep form and instead letting his limbs escape him as he gasped for air.
The youngster watched the kids chase after each other contently, it was a scene he sorely missed from home.
"Do you take everything that seriously?" His senior asked.
"Hmm?" Kagari responded, not sure of what Minagawa meant. The veteran regained his form, and managed to sit like a normal person. "Kids fight, what's the point getting so involved?"
Kagari smiled. "You're not much of a people person are you, senpai?" Minagawa shrugged. Kagari continued "In my hometown, you stick together through thick and thin, we huddle close in the winter and share food when times are tough, it's the only way we survive. We were close, like a family."
He reminisced on a scene from the past. "When I first came here, to the capital, I was 7 years old. There were people begging on the streets, and crime around every corner... It was such a cold place, so different from the warmth I knew. I thought to myself that some people don't know the difference, don't know the closeness of family, the warmth of laughter. I guess that's when I started idolising heroes, started wanting to become one"
He smiled brightly again, "So that kids like them can laugh without knowing the cold."
Minagawa scoffed, which caught Kagari off guard. "Senpai?"
"Cold, eh? You rookies come here thinking this place is infested with crime lords and drug smugglers. Look around you kid, you see murder and mayhem? This is the rich side, only crime you see here is wailing kids and entitled adults." He looked the rookie dead in the eye. "Rookies tend to lose their appetite for justice as soon as they see the Broken Districts. You wanna talk about kids knowing cold? Try living in a broken down condo with no roof over your head. No food for you to eat and the only people around would much rather drive your head into the ground than help you."
The rookie was at a loss for words. Minagawa got bored of the exchange and went back to the cruiser without a word.
The day had gotten late. They drove back to the headquarters, without a single word spoken.
Kota and Kenny continued playing, but as they rounded the corner, a black chain wrapped itself around Kota and pulled him in close. They had fallen into the crosshairs of one of the criminals Kagari had been waiting for. But they hadn't seen this happen, they were in their cruiser driving away, and this villain was magnified to the agents, watching them like a hawk. His face contorted, revealing a toothy grin. He spoke.
"Minagawa Atsushi."
*-*-*
Minagawa and Kagari were surprised that they were not the last pair back, in fact, the losers had only returned an hour after, safe to say they had enough paperwork to last a month.
Minagawa took shelter in the break room, gathering anything he could to make a fortress, allowing him to sleep comfortably. Kagari was making coffee, still bummed out from his previous conversation with his senior. In walked the chief, a fresh patch on his forehead and smoke spell activated.
"Oh, Kagari. How was your first ride out?" He asked politely. Kagari sighed, going over the conversation in his head again. "Chief"
Okazaki noticed the severe drop in octaves. "That bad?"
The rookie moped and spun his finger, spinning the spoon in his drink. "No sir, it's just..."
"Just?" He responded.
"I don't think Minagawa-senpai likes me very much..." Kagari explained, for once his chipper exterior was vacant, looking more dejected than anything.
His boss laughed. "That man has had 12 different partners since he started, know how many lasted over a day?"
Kagari shrugged. "2" the number took him aback.
"He doesn't hate you Kagari, he's just gotten jaded. There was a time that he was more motivated than you even". Kagari couldn't picture it.
"A time when he was my best agent..." The boss reminisced before his headache took his attention. "This job runs you down, Kagari. Makes you lose sight of who you are and who you want to become. The only way to stop that is working with someone, that's why I made you his partner."
*-*-*
Minagawa lay in the darkness, warm and cosy, but for some reason he couldn't sleep. He kept picturing the argument with Kagari, and his words to those boys. He tossed and turned but, to no avail, his eyes would always open. He gave up on the battle with himself, maybe a boring video would set his mind at ease...
Instead his eyes glued to the monitor. "Well we're here above the scene, as you can see a villain has taken a boy hostage and is threatening to drop him off the edge-" Minagawa's heart fell into his stomach.
He rushed into the kitchen, to the other agents. "Okazaki!"
His chief looked over, he saw the panic on his face. Minagawa showed them the screen, showed them the scene unfolding. Okazaki went white.
"ALL AGENTS TO YOUR CARS!"
*-*-*
The sun was setting when they reached the bridge, their target held young Kota by the collar. The police force had gotten to the scene before the Order, as did the press. It was like a movie set, a blockade between the criminal and enforcement, a chopper in the air and snipers on the surroundings. The bridge was new, it had been built on either end, yet was still under construction, below them, a whirlpool. Much to the criminal's excitement, the press had set their drone spells loose, birds made of light watched his every moment, awaiting a gruesome end.
His excitement went through the roof when he saw Minagawa exit his cruiser and rush past the barrier against his superior's instruction. "Atsushi!" Okazaki called out, it was no use, he wasn't listening.
"I knew you would come..." The lowlife muttered.
"Let the kid go, Hayakawa." Minagawa commanded. Hayakawa simply cackled. "I'm surprised, Agent Minagawa, I expected you to just push us off."
"Where's the other one?" Minagawa asked. Kenny was with the police. He had managed to slip away, found his way to the station and pleaded with them to help. They had to hold him back so that he didn't rush over to save Kota, he gave it everything he had to reach out.
"Oh, I get it." Hayakawa said. "Acting like a hero in front of the cameras. Must be annoying, not being able to just get it over with, huh?"
Minagawa responded sharply, "What the hell are you talking about?! Look, either let the kid go or-"
His grip loosened and Kota slipped down, just enough for Hayakawa to regain his control but instil further fear. The boy was practically convulsing. "A poor choice of words, agent."
"You son of a-"
"Careful!" Hayakawa interrupted. "That's still a touchy topic now isn't it? Or have you forgotten?". Minagawa didn't respond, but it was clear to Hayakawa, he could see it in his eyes.
He sneered. "Y'know, this is why we hate you people. Well, allow me to remind you, Agent Minagawa!" His attention turned to the beasts flying around him.
"You think these people protect you?! You think they stand for anything other than themselves, and their pride?!" He cried out, loosening his grip slightly, all the while grinning from ear to ear, watching the camera follow his every movement. "I know you, Minagawa Atsushi! I know what you are! And I've lived for this, sat in the Glacier for 10 years, yearning to see you fall to your knees as I reveal the truth to the world!"
"This is about you and me, Hayakawa-"
"NO!" He interrupted "THIS IS ABOUT YOU! ABOUT YOUR LIES!"
The squad cars continued pouring in behind Minagawa, so did the news vans, wanting to get the scoop.
Hayakawa was all too happy to provide it for them. "This is about the lie you and the rest of the Order's dogs tell the people. You pretend to be there for us, well where were you for me?! For my mother?! Oh, I remember. Instead of treating her, instead of trying to stop the bleeding, you left her to die so you could catch the crook and get your award! You didn't give a rat's ass if we died... you killed her!"
His smile twisted, spiralling into his madness as he reached the end of his announcement. "And now, I will show this world what you are, what I saw in you that night. All those years I spent, repeating the same line... over, and over, and over! and over! AND OVER AGAIN! You will follow this twisted world to the end, agent..."
Minagawa readied his magic, a scar on his arm glowed white hot, glimmering in his eyes, but he may have been too late.
The madman let go, plummeting the young boy into the ice water, he held his pose, like a psychotic martyr. "...Fall into despair!"
To the left, was the boy reaching out for his hand, cast into the abyss. To the right, was the dangerous miscreant that caused calamity everywhere he went.
"Which one?" He asked himself.
It was as if time itself stopped, as if the world was asking him a question. If he saved the boy, Hayakawa would evade him, he had already cast the chain spell, it would propel him away in a heartbeat. There was no guarantee he would be caught, in fact, there was no way Kagari would catch him. If he wanted to stop him, he needed to do it here and now! But it meant sacrificing another... another...
He couldn't see the scene anymore, his vision became a maelstrom of panic and indecision with only the boy and the beast illuminated, like a moth to the flame.
A voice called out to him in the darkness, "Use me..."
Its honeyed words tempted him, he reached out as the light faded from his eyes. Another voice rang in his ear and snapped him out of the trance, though this one made his blood freeze.
"A-Atsushi..." she called out, the rain washed the blood from her chest. She reached out to him, with all of her strength.
"Atsushi..." another called. He saw him next to her, luckily for him he couldn't see what ailed this man, his tears blurred his vision.
He took her hand, pleading her to stay with him, but with every passing moment he could feel her ebb away.
Slowly but surely she lost consciousness, the man as well. He cried out as loud as his voice would allow.
He watched the sun rise ahead, still holding her cold hand, holding it close to his face. "Never again" he spoke softly. "Never again"
Another scene played, quick like a flash, like a photo. An umbrella held out in the rainfall.
With speed like a thunderclap, he missed Hayakawa and clutched the boy tightly, pulling him in close. "Never again will I lose you!"
Hayakawa couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was willing to give himself in, it was how he would show the world how uncaring the agents are, but there he was, ignoring everything for another?!
He was so shaken he didn't notice the young agent in his way until it was too late, and Kagari took his chance like a pro.
Down went Hayakawa, cuffed and crying while Minagawa pulled himself and the kid back to safety, Hayakawa cried out, "No No! It's not supposed to be this way! This isn't how it's supposed to gooo!"
"Yeah yeah, tell it to the judge" said the agent holding him as he put him in the cruiser.
Kagari and Minagawa looked out on the scenery together. Minagawa sat in the back seat of their own car, his legs out to the side. Kagari leant against the driver's door smiling.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" the vet asked.
"Well with this resolving, we've completed all our cases. My first day as a W.W.O agent is officially complete!" He cheered, but dear old Minagawa knew something the kid didn't. "Yeah... about that..." He filled him in.
"Paperwork?! I thought..."
"Nope." Minagawa denied. The rookie should have deflated, but instead fire burned in his eyes. "Then I guess we need to head back to the office!" He announced
"Yep, something like that" Minagawa agreed, taking his usual sleeping position as Kagari hopped in the front seat. "Take us home, Kagari." |
"I owe you my life and I will repay your kindness."
A voice rang out in the suffocating darkness. I couldn't even tell if it was the girl's voice or a line from a movie I watched a few weeks ago.
The voice was distorted by something. As I was about to look for the source, a blinding light came to fill my entire field of view and forced me to squint.
When my gaze adjusted, I found a blonde woman looking at me with a smile. Her face was so beautiful that it surprised me. Next to her was a dark-haired man who flashed the same smile.
I didn't understand. Hadn't my body been pierced by a ball of lightning? I should have died with such a severe wound! Was medical technology this advanced?
Then who were these two? A doctor and a nurse? But, their clothes didn't resemble the image in my head.
Question after question kept filling my mind. Suddenly, my body relaxed as the woman caressed my head. The comfort I felt made me ignore the questions.
The man patted my head and I felt the same comfort. What was this feeling? I was usually reluctant to have my head touched by strangers. Because I felt disrespected by them.
However, not with these two. They looked at me attentively and didn't exude an aura of intimidation. In fact, I felt so comfortable with their actions.
She then started talking to me. Her words sounded strange. I didn't know if it was a foreign language I'd never heard. But no matter how much I listened to her, I still had no clue.
The woman kept speaking until tears stopped her. She immediately kissed my forehead. I could feel a warmth flowing from the point where my skin met her lips. I had never felt this comfort and warmth other than with my own mother. It was a feeling I longed for.
As I tried to look back at them, my field of vision became blurry. I tried to get rid of something blocking my eyes. My fingers swiped at it and felt a wet sensation.
Huh... tears?
Something from deep within my soul exploded. Like a flood that washed over me. My body, unable to contain this huge wave, was forced to release it from the slit of my eyes.
I cried out. My screams grew louder. I couldn't help but let all the pent-up emotions out.
For the first time, I cried over my mother's death.***
Two months passed.
It seemed like I was reborn. A new reality, I was a baby.
I came to this conclusion when the blonde woman carefully picked me up. There was no way that I, a grown man, could be picked up that easily by her. Also, the physical appearance reflected from the surface of the puddle in the barrel revealed a different figure.
My hair was black and my eyes were brown. It was quite different from my former body.
I had to accept the fact that I had been reborn. To be honest, I wished that my mother had also been reborn. But, that was impossible. Being reborn might be luck or mercy from God so that I could live normally this time.
When I grew up and became independent, I would visit my mother's grave to thank her for everything she gave me.
Anyway, I had a new body. Unlike my old one, the current body seemed to be able to feel all the emotions like a normal human. This was something that I had always wanted.
Yet somehow, I became too whiny. Every time my butt felt wet, the urge to cry was unstoppable. Every time a strange insect landed on my bed, I would cry too. There were too many things that could make me cry. I was ashamed of myself.
But, every time I cried, my new mom would come and calm me down. Either by giving me breast milk or warm stroking from her fingers. When that happened, I would soon fall asleep.
I wanted to thank my current mom. She gave me the opportunity to be born into this world in good health. She took care of me as much as she could and gave me plenty of attention. I admired her.
Then my new guy came to see me often as well. Unfortunately, most of the things he did were make silly faces and I almost threw up. He looked confused every time he saw my reaction. However, I realized that this man had no idea he was doing something pointless.
Please, stop making that silly face.
***
Half a year passed after I was born.
Finally, I was able to move or rather, crawl. After six months of being stuck in bed with nowhere to go, this was the moment of freedom I had been waiting for.
Crawling with my little legs and hands felt so great. I never thought that crawling could be a nice moment in my life. Perhaps I felt the same way in my previous life?
Again, memories of the past began to fill my mind. And it was common for me to cry and then mom would come to calm me down.
By the way, my parents called me Damna. Although I could not pronounce my own name, at least this new name should be engraved in every cell of my body.
I was no longer Phil. I am Damna.
Then, my attention was distracted by the sound of a man laughing. Of course, I recognized the laugh. He was the man who became my dad, somehow. A man with a strange sense of humor.
He came closer and then put me on his shoulder. In a way, it was like I was riding a horse. This was quite embarrassing. I struggled and hit his head with all my might. Yet, he laughed.
I realized that the force I expelled from this tiny hand was too small to cause injury. Just wait, O man who seemed to be my dad, I would avenge you.
Although there was a love-hate relationship between me and this man, of course, I didn't hate him. I just couldn't stand him. Maybe because I hadn't found at least one reason to really like him.
This man, who carried me on his shoulder, walked around like a horse. The route was so short because our house was not big. There was only one living room, one dining room attached to the kitchen, two bedrooms, and one bathroom.
All the furniture and walls were made of wood. The floor was covered with neatly arranged stones and the roof was made of straw-like material. On the table was a thick candle that was used at night. It was a tool for providing light at night when there was no firewood to light a fire in the stove.
The more I observed, the more I understood. This place was far from the contact of technology. But, it didn't make sense. Could it be that I was born in an area that wasn't on the world map?
A knock on the door made this man stop having fun. He walked and opened it.
The man with the bushy beard came again.
Whenever that man came, Rosch put me back into the exclusive bed. I dislike it. I couldn't get off from this place because it was about a meter high and had sturdy wooden bars. Again, I was caged.
They talked about something, then Rosch's face became serious. Afterwards, the bearded man left.
Rosch sighed. He went into the room while taking off his clothes. His muscular muscles and six-pack abs were visible to me.
Never been a fan of muscular men, but my mom's husband's muscles look buffed. I'd never seen him do any special exercise. Or maybe because I was the one who never left the house.
Every morning, I heard my mom's husband shouting in a certain rhythm. I guess that was when he was practicing something.
This man wore tight and thick clothes covered with a cloak. He took something from the chest. A sword! I didn't understand. It was impossible to have a real one in this world, right? Unless this guy was a high-class cosplayer. Maybe that was the reason. Still, it didn't make sense for a cosplayer to live in the countryside like this.
Before I realized it, he came over, picked me up and kissed my forehead. After flashing a smile, he put me back in the cage. He waved his hand and I waved back. The door closed and I heard the sound of his steps fade away.
Normally, he would wait until mom came home before going out. But, it seems that something urgent happened. Although I didn't understand what exactly happened in this village.
Thinking too hard made my baby's eyes sleepy. I laid down and hoped mom would be home by the time I woke up.
***
6 months passed again.
During these six months, I tried hard to listen to my parents' every conversation. As a result, I began to acquire some words with the correct pronunciation and meaning.
The language used here has similarities to English. In terms of pronunciation and some of the rules. Yet, the alphabet was completely different. I'd never seen an alphabet like this.
To be honest, I didn't expect to be this fast in learning a language. I had absolutely no guidance other than the fairy tale books my parents read to me every night. Perhaps it was because my body and brain were still developing, so it was easy for me to remember.
From my small observations, I was currently in a remote village in Europe. Of course, this was only a rough analysis. Until I explored this place, I could never know the truth.
"Damna! Damna sweetheart! Where are you?" Mom yelled out my name.
Mom was looking for me. She looked in the cupboards, under the dining table, and in the equipment room. She still couldn't find me.
She let out a long sigh then gave up and went out of my sight.
I was currently hiding under a pile of clothes next to the door. I had no ill intentions towards her. Every time I hid and she managed to find me, her face looked happy.
I wanted to see her smile and how she pampered me afterwards. I didn't think that was too much for a baby like me right now.
As I stayed silent and kept peeking, my nose picked up a delicious scent. The smell was so appealing that I unconsciously went outside and crawled in the direction it came from.
I arrived at the kitchen and mom looked at me with a proud smile.
Ah, I was tricked.
Mom finished cooking and picked up my little body. Then she kissed my chubby cheeks.
"I finally found you, Damna." She chuckled. "You must be hungry, right? I cooked something sweet for you."
She stroked my head gently. It made me comfortable. Every day, I felt fulfilled.
I wanted to repay her kindness. Yet, I didn't know how.
Of all the things I remembered, there was one that came to mind. It was an action that I thought would make her happy. Actually, I had already trained myself for it.
I clenched my fingers and extended my hand to gain her attention.
She looked at me.
"Ma... Ma... Mama."
Mom froze. Her lips trembled. Then the tears came. "What did you say, sweetheart?"
I repeated my words. "Mama! Mama!"
Mom hugged me again and kissed my whole face like a wild animal. Then she ran out of the house.
What I saw was so beautiful. A rural atmosphere with a cool breeze that I'd never felt living in the city. Not far ahead, there were two golden-coloured wheat fields. Between them was a straight path that led to other small houses.
On the path, a shirtless man stood and held a hoe in his right hand.
"My dear! Damna can talk! He is talking!"
The man stopped his activities and ran to us. He was dripping with sweat and his body was glistening in the twilight.
"Say it again, Damna," my mother's husband pleaded.
"Mama. Mama!"
Suddenly, the enthusiastic face of this grown man turned into the face of a child whose toy was taken away. Yes, he burst into tears and babbled incoherently. At that instant, he kissed my mother deeply.
After kissing his wife, his attention returned to me.
"Say 'Daddy'," he pleaded.
"Mama!"
"Daddy!"
"Mama!"
He looked awkward. He asked once again to call him Daddy. Of course, I wasn't going to call him that. Think of it as a form of revenge for teasing and tickling me to the point of almost fainting. He did it almost every day when he had the chance!
"Rosch, maybe if we teach him every day, Damna will be able to call you Daddy."
Rosch looked at my mother and tried to stay strong. "You're right, Sonja."
His lost motivation returned. But it was pointless. No matter how hard he tried, I would try my hardest not to call him Daddy.
The man stroked my head and then said in a soft voice, "I'm worried if Damna can't talk. Most babies around his age already speak one or two words. But my boy only let out a sound when he cried. I thought he would be cursed because he was born on New Year's Eve."
Honestly, I didn't understand what Rosch meant. But, my mother's tears continued to flow. It seemed that I was the only one who didn't understand the situation. The superstition in this village was still quite strong.
Rosch wiped away Mom's tears. They exchanged smiles for a moment and later kissed my cheeks.
"I am truly grateful," he said.
This man's face showed sincerity. It made me melt. Unconsciously, my lips opened on their own.
"Dadda."
His eyes widened.
"Eh? You said Daddy, right?"
I shook my head. "Mama!"
This man kept insisting on admitting that I had called him daddy. Of course, I wasn't going to confess. It was a coincidence!
A chuckle slipped out of mom's lips. She really seemed to be holding back her laughter. Unfortunately, she failed to do so. She let out a loud sound that surprised me.
I didn't expect my mom could laugh so hard like a gorilla. |
The stage now completely empty. No more performance for today, and after all bands were over with our pieces, we then forced to sit here, to behold the result which will determine our final year performance.
The whole room is fully filled with student and teachers from various schools. I can't count just how many of them. But certainly each of these people must been praying all day, delivering fervent hope to the 'Mighty God' so their efforts not gonna end up in vain, and vast victory will be visible ahead of their eyes, although if the possibilities were low, even its impossible, they still hope for the Gloria.
Up ahead, right on the wall of a large stage, a wide banner hinged, where an annual line is written in bold: "Osaka Prefectural High School Concert Band Competition"—the concours which we attend every year, though, never been won once. Today, and it means now, this waiting might became our last performance with this uniform. If we stuck here, then the stage will be closed for us, and the third years—us—must retired as a looser.
"You're okay, Yuuta?"
A small voice asking near my ear. Haruka— Its Takahashi Haruka. The girl who always played with me since six years ago—my classmate and my club mate. She embrace her shining euphonium tightly. Her redden cheek invaded by sweat, came from her worries. Inquire is needless. I know that this girl also feels this unstable tremor of fright.
"Afraid?" ask Haruka again, with a little smile.
"Isn't you also the same?" said me.
"Well, yeah, actually, I am," replied Haruka, then looks to the front. "Though, we can't do anything about this, aren't us."
"Well, whatever the result will be, that's the image of our own efforts. We must accept it fully."
"This gentleman does likes to look perky in any situation, isn't he?"
On my right, Kobayashi Karin voice uttering. Her expressionless nuance as always makes her look strong and hard to approach. Also, it shows just how calm she is. But, a little dissatisfaction can be observed on her shivering eyes. Somehow, she tremble a little, as if looking into disaster she can't pronounce.
"Karin-chan, are you okay?" asked Shimizu to Kobayashi, as she clutched her clarinet, with quivering hands.
"Mikoto-chan, you're the one who not looks fine actually," said Kobayashi, in the same moment, holding Shimizu's trembling hand.
"What can we do about it," Yukki who sit behind me uttering, "today may be our final performance in junior high. Miko must be afraid a lot."
"Don't you afraid about this, Yukki?" asked Sakagami next to him. "You looks too relax."
"Me...? Nahh, not really. More than that, I thought I already predict the result—"
In an instant Haruka throws Yukki with a mineral water bottle cap, then nagging him, "Don't say scary thing like that, you idiot!" with small tone of course.
Yukki apologizing, bowing his head. Behind him, I catch the rows of our junior and our classmates. Like us, they also got that fright. The freshmen and juniors stoop in anxiety. The tense of this unknown situation stressing their heart and mind—primarily the seniors. Those who have experienced the taste of defeat certainly understand how dread this moment is. The moment when judges will show the results of our hellish practice for weeks.
"Yamato-kun." I turned around. Kobayashi didn't move her eyes from glaring the stage in front of us. "Can I ask one thing from you?" continued her.
"What?"
"If we win to the Regional, let's going out."
"......"
Karin turned to me, with a serious face she repeat that magical sentence, "If we got the gold and continue to the Regional, let's go out with me."
"......"
Karin softly said it so no one can possibly catch her phrases. I look into that tiny face. The timid face that looks so intimidating sometime. We've been together since primary school, in the same class, in the same neighborhood, and always play ensemble together. I know this girl like I see the sun every morning. But— Never, never ever, not in any consideration, under whichever circumstances, or in aught dream, I have thought she would say something like this—or if it was a joke. Moreover, in this kind of day.
In that confusion I coerce myself to replied her, "......what if we lose?"
Hearing my question, Kobayashi averting her face. She look down, clutching her knees, then sunk that timid-cold-looking face onto her thighs. I could hear her response, lightly pronounced.
"If we lose...... then I will enroll the high school you attend, and won the gold. Right there, you better make it happen, to the Regional, and National Concours'. Then, go out with me."
It sounds like a jester line. If I can't hold myself, I'm gonna blow, laughing hugely. But, Karin said it with a sincere tone, innocently, and determinedly, which came from depth of her feelings. Then it means she meant it...... I just never consider about this scene. Now, how can I respond to her—
"YUUTA——!!!" Haruka's shout diverting my sight. I looked up.
Suddenly everyone bawling. On the balcony—above the stage—two men in suit step forward. They crane a banner, banner about the result of today competition. I can see names of the schools that managed to get medals. 'Number 1'—and annually—is Daigorou Private Junior High. Below them other potential schools are listed.
"EVERYONE, LOOK———!!!"
When we observing the name, an unpredictable view is flashing. Our school, for the first time in the history of my junior high, and the annals of this junior high itself, after the wait of seven years, we get the gold medal.
"Gold!"
"We get the gold——!!!"
"I can't believe this......"
"Senpai! Its gold, you see!"
Exhilaration welled up in our flock. This school never receive any medals in the past seven years. Today, a little surprising, in my lead as the club president, finally we can get one, breaking that curse of 'no result' that had breaking our band into miserable image. We got gold.
Though, yeah, however, this joyous moment not really get us excited too long. This gold not send us to the Shangri-La. The reason is because we not get the real gold, but instead the dud gold—which means we can't continue to the Regional Competition. This is a 'gold'. But, not the gold that we want.
"This is pretty good actually, we broke through the curse. You all had tried the best, and this result shows it. You make me proud!"
Up there, our advisor give his praising compliment. The freshmen and juniors can get their spirit revive for a little. While the seniors—our contemporaries—look glum. There's even those who start crying and cursing themselves. Students from the other schools which got nothing lethargically fall distress. Their soundless cries slicing my ears.
"See, like I thought," said Yukki.
"Maybe it's because your surmise, that's why we lost. Yukki, you did bring bad luck," continued Sakagami.
Shimizu says nothing. She just drooping sadly. Tears loosing like waterfall, wetting her clarinet. Haruka stroked her head, calming, in the same time dropped in distress too.
"Yamato-kun."
Meanwhile, I could feel my gakuran sleeve is pulled by someone. It's Karin. She looks up, staring straight ahead, with eyes all wet. Her tears fell likes June downpour. Heavy, and hefty......
She utter, "Which school will you attend?"
I try to come out with something, but nothing get into my mind. I caress her head, softly, feebly, then said, "Let me think about that first."
"When you decide it, let me know."
I just smiled bitterly.
The banner in front of us not changed a bit. When the committee man announce about the schools that will proceeding to the Regional Competition, slowly, Karin is crying on my shoulder, with the weep who can be heard by me only.
* * * |
Part 1.
Perhaps no one wouldn't know about the infamous forest that encompassed the center of the continent. Away from the realms of men, ravenous monsters roamed relentlessly for prey.
Night and day they bite and bites away. In the hearts of the forest, large trees thrived to seek the sky, blotting out the light and turning the forest to be dark as night. On top of that, fog lingers over the forest. No one knew how it started, but the elders once said that it was a place where dragons and other colossal monsters dwell.
But no one can prove the claim even to this day.
Because no men manage to return after they entered the misty region of the Vilpora forest.But be it true or not, the threat of the forest is real.
Perhaps there would be no shortage of men telling the tales of old. And perhaps there would be no shortage of brave souls that would venture into the forest, either to hunt monsters or to confirm the legend itself.
Xen heard the legends from the men of taverns. He heeds their warnings to his heart and steel himself against danger as he set foot in the forest.
he was a traveler, wandering the lands on a pilgrimage to hone his skill and grow, Xen decided to traverse the infamous forest all the way to his next destination, Naynhardth, a country on the other side of the forest.
With the forest, wide as it was, he spent significant time here and adapted to its harsh environments, run in the most inhospitable terrains, and fought his way through the wave of monsters.
It's been three weeks since then, and he advanced to the depths forest only eligible to a handful of adventurers.
The young man walked under the verdant canopies. Rays of sunlight filtered from above illuminated the mask under the shade of the hood. Strangely enough, this area of the forest in particular provides an even ground with a thin cover of grass. From the foot of the great trees thrived the undergrowths seeking its protection. The trace of the late winter lingered from the chilling breeze flowing through the woods, rustling the leaves from above as the jubilant birds sang praises for the spring. It was peaceful and bright and Xen found it relatively pleasing from the rest.
Though this is still a monster nest. And as to remind him, a deep howl, echoed somewhere from the distance, seemingly shaking the air.
Xen perked up.
"That must be a very large monster." He muttered.
Judging from the sound, it seemed coming from ahead. A little closer to the right granted he maintained his current direction. There was a high chance he will be spotted by the unknown beast and ended up getting hunted himself. But even then, the young man has no intention to change direction and maintained his lax pace.
Moments later, he recognized the distinct shouts and grunts mixed within the savage roar."Adventurers..." he muttered. He thought for a moment before shaking his head gently."It's best not to interfere... but it wasn't wrong to watch."
The young man casually jumped up in the tress without much of a jogging start. He landed gently on top of the branches and then started zipping through the trees.
This feat wasn't something that can be done just by anyone else. But for those that of possession of mystical energy, this one is nothing. Those people that unlocked the prana, the hidden mystical energy that resides within the spiritual body, can do feats that surpassed the limit of humanity. They were known as Exceliant.
Granted with superhuman prowess, they play an active role in the military and are commonly the measure of national strength.
But for those who don't want to tie themselves to any country and maintain their independence, they have the option to become an adventurer. "There they are... hmm they seem doing pretty well."
Xen gently landed on a strong branch with a good vantage point. From there, he has a clear vision of the fight below. Just a mere glance at the few exchanges told him that the four adventurers were faring well against the bipedal giant beast.
With a thick and large frame, it stands way over four meters in height. Dark bronze fur shone a dull vibrance but the vicious eyes vividly lit up in dark crimson.
This disastrous monster was widely feared even by the high-ranking adventurers here in the Vilpora forest known as Urzyk.
The Urzyk stood on its short legs. It raised its thick long log-like arm with extended claws and swing it down to the adventurers on its feet, specifically a swordsman and a dwarf.
The two vanguards jumped back in time, avoiding the paws that begrudgingly dug up the ground. The earth beneath their foot shook from the sheer strength. But that wasn't enough to faze the adventurers.
Since they put themselves in a distance, this gave their mage the freedom to unload her spells without putting her vanguards at risk.
The mage raised her staff. A magic circle weave itself and began firing off fireballs. And in the next instant, a series of explosions erupted along with flames that set the Urzyk ablaze.
"RARRGR!!!!"
The beast growled in pain staggering backward. But there wasn't noticeable damage even after the explosion. The bellowing smoke however obstructed its vision and gave it a little trouble breathing. And that momentary failure of focus, led the adventurer assault to pass its defenses.
"That fireball wasn't for damage but rather as cover for the vanguards to close the gaps. Very crafty." Xen said, evaluating the battle like an analyst.
From the distance, the archer let loose her arrows. The distinctive long tapered ear suggests that she was an elf.
The projectiles draw a greenish streak of light as they dig through the beast's shoulders. The vanguards dashed forth to follow up. The dwarf pounced and lash out his mace. The weapon was reinforced with magic shrouded with ocher filament. It leaves a trail of light as it struck the knee of the Urzyk.
They say their races may seem short, but they were gifted with abnormal strength to compete against creatures much larger than them. This was clearly demonstrated as the massive beast fell to one knee.
From behind, the swordsman dashed off, his swords glowed in bluish radiance as it jumped, slashing on the unprotected back of the beast, which solicited a terrorizing growl.
Unlike those Mages whose prana used to cast spells, those who don't have talents of magic used their prana to reinforce their physical strength and weapon instead. This is their own way to fight off monsters that were naturally capable of reinforcing their bodies by prana.
Otherwise, their weapons might just already break from the repeated impact.
The swordsman wasn't done yet and charged again on its blindside, exploiting the brief window before the beast can hold his ground.
But sometimes, the urzyk will notice their intention.
It flung its arm down before the swordsman can deliver a slash. The swordsman instantly saw the rushing arms and immediately jumped back to safety.
The caution of getting hit by the claws will spell their doom, forcing the swordsman to retreat and wait for the right opportunity.
Urzyk chase him up and hammered down its arms, not letting him get away after it suffered from the wound on its back.
the swordsman jumped off the trail, but the other arms followed him. Perhaps he never anticipates another attack as he froze up.
"He's dead!"
However, the dwarf pushed him out of the way.
"Or not."
Xen breathed in relief that his expectation prove him wrong."
The shield held high shrieked a dull clang. The dwarf took the brunt of the force pushing him a few centimeters as his feet dug into the ground to stop his momentum. He used his mace and braced the shield from behind; working both hands to support the shield. Due to the large weight difference, the dwarf can only block the attacks overhead. If the beast it's swiped horizontally, that dwarf will be thrown away. Thus limiting his chances to block using his shield.
The Urzyk face contorted in anger as it failed to crush the dwarf beneath the shield. Perhaps its pride was hurt when such a monster like itself possessing a massive size was stopped by a small creature. This time it raised its other arm, in preparation for a swipe. The dwarf was held in place from resisting the force of its arm so this makes him a sitting duck.
the air whistled its claws swept. But before it snuff the life out of the dwarf, a streak of light flashed in the corner of its eyes. It immediately change the course of its hand and raised its face.
A beat later, an arrow pierce its hands with a force enough to touch its forehead. The beast tens up at the prospect of death.
The Urzyk, looked up, glaring at the elf, shooting arrows while jumping through the trees. The urzyk swung its massive arms, breaking the arrows that further heading to its head.the arrows may not have landed on its target, but bought a chance for the swordsman to sneak on its legs and deliver a solid hit. The flesh sliced open splattering blood on the mossy floor.
The beast cred in ear-splitting intensity, the pain must have so severed that it grabbed its wound with the hand that kept the dwarf in place. With the load left overhead, the dwarf immediately moved out of the way as another set of fireballs take its place, plunging the beast even more into the world of pain, despair, and humiliation.
"...That was a clutch save. They're so good." Xen, colored impressed as he observe the battle from afar.
"They move in sync with each other, and know the precise time for each of their turn."
The rear guards kited the bear in, making the vanguards invisible to its eyes. And by the time it recognized their figures, they already land a strike. There was also the elf, sniping the bear from afar which gave an additional cover for the vanguards. And whenever the attacks are too heavy for them to take on, they fall back letting the mage hurl fireballs at the Urzyk to stop its momentum and provide cover. And thus repeat the cycle.
This ingenuous strategy of relentless kiting is pushing the bear to a one-sided beat down with little to no chance to retaliate, let alone hit their target. Another factor to add to the bear's disadvantages was the synergy of the assault and their good coordination. Their attacks were a tad weak to deal a finishing blow due to the thick fur, but they got good teamwork to compensate for their shortcomings.
It was a typical strategy for a party, But the execution is well coordinated.
On the other hand, Urzyk's movement became much more sluggish as time pass by. Fatigue accumulates with every movement and the impatience of not reducing their number only pushed the bear to expend its remaining strength. Slowly withering the large beast to death.The Bears staggered forward before struggling to stable his balance. It glared menacingly puffing air out of its nose. It roared savagely to the encroaching adventurers. Its opponents however are far from intimidated and it only raised their morale. In the passing seconds, they began to exploit the bear's predicament as they dashed with the intent to end the fight.
"It's only a matter of time before the Urzyks will fall... Alright. GG... "
Just as he said, the Urzyk finally gave in to the unceasing assault and fell. The swordsman jumped on its back and stabbed his sword right in the nape. The beast let out a dying howl before sprawling on the ground lifeless with blood seeping out on its wound-riddled body.As the adventurer confirmed its death, they lowered their weapons and eased themselves.
"That was a good fight... No... that was a hunt." He silently praised as he clapped his hands muffled by his gloves.
Having this deep in the forest where strong monsters prowled around the clock, it's safe to say that only those veteran adventurers can reach this area. So perhaps it's no surprise to see that kind of team fight coming from them.
Having seen their fight just remind me how crucial the party is when taking an enemy much stronger than your own... somehow I getting an urge to form a party of my own.
But to scout other members, the person himself must possess a decent amount of strength if he wants to attract the caliber of warriors he desired. After all, no one would choose a weak branch to hold their fates. For that reason, Xen was using this journey as a chance to hone his skill by facing off against monsters. And this only gets harder and harder as he went closer to the misty region.
He left his eyes from the party and stared at his open palms.
"I really need to get stronger." He whispered under his breath. He closed his hands and pumped himself up.
"Alright! Time to set off to the misty region!"
Xen cast one final glance at the party before he set off. But as he did, he noticed something strange.
The party can't see it from there their angle, but from Xen position, he saw a creature seemed emerging gently from the wide slit on Urzyk's side. Its figure was that of a child, more like a goblin. It slinked silently on four limbs, approaching the mage who placed herself near the corpse, probably to inspect. And no one in their party seemed to sense its presence yet even it already encroached closer, sneaking unto the mage.
Here I said I'm not going to interfere!
Xen scoffed as kick the branch and dashed forth. As he was zipping from tree to tree, the unknown creature finally made its move.
It shrieked as it pounced, kicking the Urzyk's shoulder to propel itself to the unsuspecting mage. With the sound it made, its presence was known and the mage turned her head in a panic, and so as her companions.
What they saw what a creature with a vicious facade. Its mouth was opened from ear to ear full of razor-sharp teeth. the elongated palms jutted out claws longer as its fingers were swiping down at her.
The adventurers were glued to their spot with horrified faces as they watched the monster close the gap.
An unfortunate disaster, They were just too late to react.
And Judging by his distance, it's clear that Xen too, will never make it in time. Nevertheless, he brandish his arm, and the air before it wavered with a dark void spilling out a hilt which he immediately snatched.
[Gate]
Xen muttered those words in his head as he plunge the sword forward through the ripped-opened space showing the figure of the monsters suspended in the air. The monster's facade contorted in surprise not expecting a new human to pop out of nowhere. And the expression remains frozen as the swords pierce through its chest. Fountain blood busts out of its back. Its extended arms fell limply as the let out a dying squeal.
Pulling out his swords, the corpse drop to the ground. After a swipe to get rid of the blood, he immediately returned the swords to the dark hole that appeared before him as it was before. It was after that that he faced the lady that was staring at him in a daze.
"Are you alright?" |
Five months and twenty-eight days passed. To this day, I was unable to perform magic.
"A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Allow me to use your blessings to restore strength and life, Healing!"
As I cast the incantation, no faint light appeared from my hands or other limbs. My concentration was perfect, my body position was steady. I tried imagining the concept I had seen. Yet, it was for naught.
Could it be that magic only can be used by certain people? And I wasn't one of them? If that was the case, I didn't need to push myself.
I sighed heavily. Quite disappointed, but what can I do about it? I still had memories of how to fight with my bare hands. Perhaps close combat would be my field of expertise.
However, it wasn't that easy. I tried to perform the consecutive punches I've learned on earth. Yet, my undeveloped body was unable to follow the instructions issued by my head. Even when doing a side-step, my feet easily tripped.
I realized that my time was still long. But, if I didn't acquire a special ability as soon as possible, I might not survive here.
Enough with the rumbling, I should go outside to get some fresh air.
When I walked out of the room, my parents were standing in front of the door. It seemed that they were welcoming guests. As I came and looked through the gap in my parents' legs, I saw a little kid in a ponytail with a man.
"Damna!" she yelled. "Remember me?"
Her emerald eyes radiated an overwhelming aura of joy. As she kept repeating her question, our distance continued to narrow until it got too close and made me take a few steps back.
"I remember you, Aila." After all, there was no way I could forget the incident that made me realize that I was not on earth.
Aila let out a happy squeak. She spun around my body and hugged me from behind. "Yey!"
This child was so happy.
"I'm sorry we came unexpectedly and interrupted your time," Raul said, bowing his head.
"No worries. You're not bothering us. Right, dear?" Mom glanced at Rosch with a smile.
"Of course not." Rosch extended his hand. "I am Rosch. Sonja's husband."
Aila's father shook Rosch's right hand and introduced himself. "Raul. You could say that I was taken care of by Sonja when I was a little boy."
"Oh..." Rosch smiled and placed his left hand on Raul's shoulder. "It must be hard, huh."
They chuckled in unison. And that confused me. I thought there would be a conflict between them. Perhaps, I was wrong about it.
It was still early in the morning, and mom made breakfast for us. Aila was eager to help. Surprisingly, Mom accepted her offer.
I observed Aila and Mom. I could feel the harmony between them the longer I watched. As if a mother and daughter.
My chest felt strange. There was a sense of dread that came up for no reason. What was this? I couldn't decipher it. Yet, I didn't think it was cancer or something. Okay, I should ignore it for now.
After mom served the food, we sat on the chairs, offered prayers, and began to eat.
For the first time, I saw another child having breakfast. Her way of eating was much messier than mine. Mom even wiped the leftover food that stuck to her cheeks.
Hmm ...Why did mom pay so much attention to her when she was so far older than me?
I rushed to touch my chest when the same pain appeared in it. I rubbed my chest to relieve it. It was gone. However, when I looked back at them, the pain returned.
This feeling... Could I be jealous?
This was so confusing. I was happy to feel a new emotion. And yet, it wasn't as wonderful as I had imagined.
I averted my eyes instead and focused on my breakfast.
Remember yourself, Damna. You were an adult. You couldn't be jealous of a child.
I kept repeating that in my head.
After finishing breakfast, Mom took Aila with her to the room. I could see their relationship growing that much. Not even a day had passed. Maybe because Aila's personality was so friendly, or my mom was that amazing.
Later, Rosch asked Raul about his purpose for coming here. Raul happily went into detail.
"You're going to the Winter Robe tomorrow? It seems difficult."
"You are right. I'm worried if I bring Aila, she'll have a hard time. There are many wild monsters on the way and the temperature is freezing."
Rosch stroked his chin. "I don't mind having to take care of Aila for a while, but are you sure about going alone?"
"I am a former Oracle-class spearman, Rosch. Not to boast, but I'm pretty confident in my survival skills."
"Oracle-class or not, what makes adventurers lose their lives is carelessness in the face of critical situations. Yet, I hope you return safely, Raul."
Raul chuckled. "Of course, I'll do my best to come back. For the sake of Aila and my wife who is waiting for me there."
I had a pretty good idea of what was going on. I got out of the chair to let the two grown men talk as much as they liked. They must have something to talk about and I, as a child, was not allowed to hear it.
So, I excused myself.
As I was about to return to my room to solve the magic theory, Aila pulled my hand. She kept pulling regardless of what I said.
What did mom say to this little girl earlier? I hope it wasn't my disgrace.
"Let's play!" Her index finger pointed at the harvested wheat fields. Her smile was so bright that I couldn't resist. I felt like an uncle going to play with his nephew.
We ran around inside the wheat field. The soft texture of the soil made it difficult for me to catch up with Aila. Also, my body was not yet capable of running fast. I didn't know what we were playing, but it seemed like police and thieves. Somehow, I became the police.
I tried to chase Aila who was hiding behind a two-meter-high cylindrical bale of straw. But when I caught up with her, she wasn't there.
"Over here!" The voice came from above. The girl had climbed to the top. She was smiling with excitement.
Wait a moment. I knew that my body felt stronger than a child on earth. However, was it possible to climb this thing?
I took a deep breath.
Doing nothing would not prove anything.
So, I stuck my fingers into the straw bales and felt the dry texture. After gaining confidence that this big object would not collapse, I climbed up. It took a while to get up because my feet slipped a few times.
Aila held out her hand for me to climb onto the straw bale. We sat side by side and felt the refreshing breeze. My eyes were spoiled by the view of the wheat fields and the vastness of the village. As far as I could see, there was not a single skyscraper.
"Let's climb another one," she invited.
"Eh?"
Without waiting for my response, she slid down. I could only follow this energetic little girl.
We quickly ran to another straw bale and climbed it. Later moved on to the third straw bale and so on.
"Eh, it's bad!" Aila yelled, grabbing my hand suddenly.
"W-what's wrong?"
"Look, your arm is bleeding."
Ah, it was true. There was a cut without me knowing it. Could it be that I was having too much fun playing? I didn't want to admit it, but my childlike instincts justified it.
Aila touched the bleeding spot. Her right hand glowed dimly and my scratch disappeared.
"Huh? You can do it without chanting a spell?"
Aila looked confused. "What does that mean? You can't?"
Hmm, was using magic something that everyone could do? Then what about me?
"Hmm ...when did you get to use magic, Aila?"
Her forehead wrinkled. She was trying to remember. Then she smiled and said, "Can't remember."
Her answer didn't dispel my curiosity.
"Forget all that. Let's play again!"
She rushed away while I glanced at the scar that had vanished without a trace. Then, I felt a sting in my calf and found another scratch there. I wiped away the blood and left the scar.
Time passed and we were tired of playing. The afternoon was quite hot and made me sweat a lot. On our way home, Mom was already at the door and waved her hand.
"You have to take a bath immediately." That was mom's order and I carried it out.
While in the bathroom, Aila suddenly entered without any clothes on. So, I walked out as soon as possible. I stood with my hands folded outside and waiting for my turn.
A shadow covered my body and I looked up. Mom's face appeared with wrinkles decorating her forehead.
"So, why are you naked and not taking a bath?"
Huh? A weird question. It seemed mom didn't understand. "Mama, Aila is a girl."
Without listening to my long-summarized speech, my mother lifted me up and placed me in the small bathtub. The water was warm-wait! That wasn't the main point!
"Mama, I can't take a bath with a girl!"
Mom still didn't listen to my babbling. She immediately poured warm water and made my body wet. Mom really didn't give me a chance to argue. My hair and body were cleaned with a bundle of fibers with foaming liquid. I didn't understand where they got it from.
I felt helpless. Not to mention, Aila was also ruffling my hair. She sounded so happy, her laughter didn't stop.
Ten minutes passed and my body became clean and pure. It felt like my sins had vanished with the foam washed away by the water.
Although it was refreshing, for some reason I was getting sleepy. It seemed like it was time to rest. After putting on my shirt and pants, I went to bed. I quickly laid down and let my eyes close on their own.
It was a good nap.
When I woke up, Aila was still sleeping beside me. I got out of bed and saw no one at home. The door was also closed. So quiet. It seemed that my parents were continuing their work to clear the wheat fields.
The silence was pleasant. It made me focus on practicing my magic. Even so, I had no results to show.
The next day, the cheerful girl cried bitterly because she had to be separated from her father. It was unexpected.
This morning, the breeze was chilly, but the scene of father and daughter that I had seen was so warm. A kind of warmth that could melt the snow.
"Father, don't go!" she whined.
"Honey, I'm going to pick up your mom. You be a good girl and wait here for me."
Aila continued to bawl and her tears didn't stop. Her fingers clung tightly to the father's robe.
I understood how Aila felt. Parting with your family for even a few days felt so suffocating.
Thanks to my body, I learnt about that feeling here.
I realized, Sonja and Rosch never left me for a whole day. Usually only about 3-4 hours at most. They would come and check whether my pants were wet or not.
My vision became blurry. I gripped Mom's long skirt. My little body was still unable to hold back emotions. Such an innocent and honest reaction.
"My dear Aila, I'm going now." Raul kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.
Aila continued to cry, but tears alone could not stop her father.
Three hours had passed.
Aila stayed under the blanket all day. Mom continued to comfort her. When she asked me to join her for a meal, I politely declined. To be honest, I didn't know how to comfort a child. I had no significant experience with small children.
Night fell. When I peeked into the bedroom, Aila was already eating and mom was feeding her. Through the door gap, I could see the tears lingering in the corners of her eyes.
I went to the other room. I sat on the floor and calmed myself down.
"Being a useless person turns out to be a lot of trouble."
I took a deep breath and let it out. And as usual, I took twenty minutes to perform an incantation. Over and over again. After more than ten times, I gave up.
My practice was getting less and less. I used to chant the incantation more than twenty times. Maybe I was feeling desperate?
Stop it. I should not overthink. I only needed to rest so I could try the next day.
Anyway, I forgot an important notice. After the night passed, I became three years old.
***
I opened my eyes and everything was dark. Could it be that the candle went out? I fumbled for the bed and found no one beside me. Strange. Anyway, I started to climb down from the bed slowly.
"Mama?" I called. "Rosch? Aila?"
No one answered. They were still sleeping in the next room, I guessed.
A smile spread across my face. Considering this was the first time I'd ever done something useful for my parents.
The candle I was looking for was between the doors of the room. It was so close. With a few steps, I could get the candle without a sweat.
After opening the door, I saw nothing but three seats illuminated by the light. A king's throne, a couch, and a wooden chair. All the seats were empty at first. A few seconds later, the couch was occupied by a man wearing a suit and looking mature. I couldn't see his face. Something like a black thread covered it.
I approached, but a barred door extended to infinity like a fence blocked my way. It wouldn't budge when I tried to push or slide it. My head kept wondering about who was sitting there.
A soft pat landed on my shoulder. I was startled and jumped in the opposite direction. When my eyes caught the sight of her, my jaw dropped.
A woman wore a black dress and a veil. This darkness should have made it impossible for me to see her. However, the dim light coming out of her body caused my eyes to catch a visual.
"Take this." She opened her hand. It was a key.
Could it be the key to open the iron bars? There was a speck of doubt. However, there was no harm in trying. If this woman tried to do something terrible, I still remembered how to immobilize my opponent. Although I didn't know what the percentage of success was.
If the situation got serious, I would scream at the top of my lungs.
I caught my breath, focused my mind, and then reached out to grab the key.
The moment the key passed into my hand, the woman vanished. My head spun to look for traces of her but to no avail.
I waited for a minute and nothing happened to me. I guessed she was a good person.
I was not sure if I should use the key. But, if I kept quiet, I wouldn't go anywhere.
I walked over to the barred door and inserted the key. The doubt in my chest was growing. If left unchecked, I might retreat and run away. But, I had to push it aside. Without caring about my trembling hands, I turned the key and slid the door open.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hit me. Lost in control, my body floated in the air. I was carried by the wind out of the darkness. The scenery changed to a star-filled night sky and then, I fell down. Gravity pulled at my body as if it longed for me.
I fell at high velocity. At this speed, I was definitely going to die.
My eyes looked around and found nothing to prevent my fall. I tried to scream and found no one to help. I clenched my teeth and held my breath. My head was spinning to find a solution amidst the procession of death.
I did everything I could but it was useless. There was nothing I could do!
As I looked down, my hair touched the ground. In a split second, I felt an electric current flow through my hair and shock me until my eyes opened wide.
I couldn't blink. My whole body was sweating and my breathing labored. I got up and checked all parts of my body. It was still intact.
I let out a long sigh. I'd never had a dream like this before. It was the first time I had one in this world. What a wild dream it was!
When my composure returned, I looked around. Aila was sleeping next to me. Rosch and Mom too. Then I paid attention to the room lit by candlelight. It was dim but not as dark as the dream.
My sweaty body forced me out of bed to change my clothes. All this was so I wouldn't catch a cold.
The moment I touched the floor, an extraordinary sensation came from the contact of my feet. It was like there was a new force from the ground into me. Then it spread to every blood tissue and warmed my entire body.
The sensation made me more energized than usual. It was like the cells of my body were dividing and evolving into something extraordinary.
I didn't know what came into my mind, but the first thing I wanted to do was the healing magic.
I looked at my calf. Then I placed my right hand on the scar. I caught my breath to regain my composure. The moment my mind focused, I quickly recited an incantation.
"A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Allow me to use your blessings to recover myself, Healing!"
A powerful sensation entered the soles of my feet. It rushed into my body and gathered in my palms. As if blood accumulated there.
At once, my hands emitted a faint glow and I felt a warm sensation enveloping the scars. My skin cells were regenerating and restoring their shape to normal.
After the magic stopped, I stroked the scar that disappeared without a trace.
A smile was carved on my face. I tried to control my squeal, yet a small giggle leaked.
Calm down, Damna. Calm down! You should not disturb anyone's sleep!
I took a deep breath to regain my composure. Yet, my hands still trembled.
One ... two ... three. Okay. I took another deep breath to relax my body.
Uh, wait a second. It seemed I cast the wrong incantation. But why was it working?
Should I give it another shot?
Hmm...I didn't have any reason to stop, right?
At once, I closed my eyes and gathered my concentration. Taking another breath before I recited the same spell. "A prayer to the Lord of–?"
Huh? My voice... I could not get my voice out! What happened? And why did everything I saw become weird? I had never known I had four hands! Was I high or something?
I tried to keep my feet on the ground, but the dizziness came like a flood and swept my consciousness away. In a few seconds, I hit the floor. Someone got off the bed and shook my body.
Afterwards, everything went dark. |
Towards the end of each season, Rosch would tests me. He stood over there and announce what kind of test it was. But lately, that wasn't the case. More and more monster-slaying work orders were coming in. This month, I could count how many days he slept at home.
Obligations as an adventurer made it impossible for him to decline all the offers. For the sake of the village and my tuition fees. He never complained though. When he came home, he would flirt with mom or bother me. Honestly, I wasn't bothered by it anymore. Maybe that was Rosch's way of communicating with his son.
Despite the many sacrifices he had made, I still couldn't call him father. How ironic.
With two pats on the cheek, my focus returned. I was standing in the front yard with Farida. Mom sat on the steps with a worried look on her face. I can't let her have that kind of expression.
"I'll be fine, Mama!" I exclaimed to convince her. Unfortunately, she still had her doubts. Well, that's only natural. Because the one testing me this time was not Rosch, but Farida.
After flashing mom a smile, I tightened my belt and shoelaces then gripped the sword tightly with both hands. My stance was perfect.
"Are you ready, Damna?" asked Farida.
"Yes!"
Farida was ready. She dressed like an adventurer, not in her usual maid's dress. Farida then picked up a stone from the pile of stones stacked next to her.
"Get ready, Damna!" she said.
Farida examined the stone she was holding twice. Then she looked at me, took a stance and threw it with all her might straight into my direction. I only had one objective, to slash the stone with this wooden sword. There was no need to split it into two equal pieces. As long as I managed to hit it, then I would pass.
The stone I slashed splintered and the fragments fell to the ground. There was a slight puff of smoke that obscured the view. Farida, at the other end, smiled while mom remained worried.
"Not bad. Remember to activate your Spiritual Eyes, because the next one will be enhanced with magic, Damna."
I followed her orders. That said, the first one was just a warm-up. What came next was the real test.
Farida took a stance, swung her arm like a national pitcher, and threw the stone like a bullet. Using my Spiritual Eyes, I saw the Mana coating used to reduce friction in the air. It caused the stone to travel at high speed.
I gripped my sword tightly, and with an inward cue, I swung right at the center point of the rock. When my sword hit it, a boom resounded like a baseball landing in a catcher's mitt. It showed how powerful Farida's pitch was. Sweat poured down my forehead even though it was only the start. My fingers tried to tighten the grip.
Farida understood how to utilize her capability in manipulating mana with all the limitations. I was no different, but I never expected Farida to be so much better than me in Battle Aura.
Before I could adjust my position, Farida flung the third stone. I slashed it and the impact pushed my hand back slightly. The next pitch came and was followed by another stone. The higher the number of throws, the faster and harder the hits I got.
No room for thought. I was forced to focus on my body's reflexes and Battle Aura control.
I cut down the stones one by one. Some stones were cut in half and others shattered into small pieces. As a result, I found myself surrounded by a puff of dust which narrowed my view. Even with Spiritual Eyes, I could not detect the stone, except when it reached a radius of one meter. This situation forced my muscles and instincts to work to the fullest.
Sweat spread through the air following my unceasing movements. It was like I danced in a haze of smoke with bangs as my musical accompaniment. After the last stone, I stopped swinging. However, every muscle and instinct was still on guard. There was no rule that the stones had to be thrown in consecutive order.
My legs almost lose their balance, but I managed to prevent it. I couldn't sit down until Farida declared my victory.
As the smoke subsided, I saw Farida stand up and flash a smile. She clapped her hands and said, "Congratulations, Damna. You passed."
"It's over." I threw myself onto the ground and let out a deep breath.
It felt great. I hadn't worked out this hard in a long time.
Out of the corner of my eye, Mom came running and immediately checked every inch of my body. After making sure nothing was injured, her worried face transformed into a proud smile.
"Damna sweetheart, you did great!" Her lips immediately crawled over my face. Every inch of it was covered in kisses.
I let Mom do what she wanted until Farida, who came over, giggled. "A few days ago, Sonja didn't want this exam to take place. But here we are, she is so happy."
"What kind of mother would want her child stoned that hard, Farida! You're too serious, too! That's frightening!" Mom growled, but her hands were still hugging and petting me. I saw a few tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Now you believe in Damna's capabilities, right?"
There was silence in the air. Mom glanced at me and then sighed. "That's right, I've gained conviction. This son of mine...is wonderful."
"You praise me too much. Just like Rosch," I teased.
Mom quickly pinched my cheek. "Of course, I look like him. He's my husband."
Eh...Could it be that the myth about soul mates having similar behavior holds? If it was, then I would dispute it. Hundred percent I won't accept that mom is the same as him. I meant, how could a goddess like Sonja be equal to a freak like Rosch? It was beyond reason.
Anyway, after passing the exam, my activities returned to normal. I spent part of my time studying, practicing my body and martial arts moves, and the other part helping my mother with her work. It continued until the winter came again.
***
Footprints were etched behind me, following me like a faithful shadow. However, the snowdrops quickly covered them, leaving no trace. My childish instincts provoked, these feet wildly made many traces in the forest not far from the back of the house. Then I waited for snowflakes to fill the footpaths and buried them.
How strange my behavior was. However, I felt that there was nothing wrong with it. It made me excited even though I was alone to look for firewood.
No one should be surprised if I went alone, because mom was pregnant. I couldn't let her do something strenuous like this, especially in the middle of the cold weather. It could be dangerous for my future siblings.
Speaking of siblings, I want a younger brother. Someone who would be strong enough to protect mom when I was away. However, I didn't think a brother could do a good job around the house.
On the other hand, younger sisters would do a better job of taking care of the house. She would be more reliable in managing emotions and manners. Also, it seemed to be easier to handle.
Wait a minute, what kind of theory did I come up with? I never even had a sibling! The novels and movies I had been reading finally surfaced and distorted my brain.
Crack!
I looked down and found a branch tucked under a leaf. My hand quickly picked it up and put it into the basket. When I lifted the broad leaf that had been buried in the snow nearby, it revealed a large number of wooden branches. What a stroke of luck. Before I knew it, I picked them all up and arranged them neatly in the basket.
Afterwards, I found my basket was already half full. It was still daytime, but the forest's safe boundary was near. Mom said I shouldn't go too deep into the forest, because there might be dangerous animals. With my current abilities, if it was just a wolf or a tiger, I was confident there would be no problem.
Once again, I checked every piece of my clothing from the thick jacket, quilted trousers, and boots lined with gaiters, as well as the small knife at my waist already on standby. I tightened the basket straps and prepared to step over the boundary.
The forest's pattern began to change a few minutes after I went deeper. Before it was a land with dense trees and vines here and there, there were now half-frozen creeks that spread into three sections. At the top of each stream were three wooden bridges which I safely crossed over.
I walked for perhaps three hundred meters as I picked up every branch in sight. There should be a small waterfall around here. It was a five meters high waterfall. That place was where I discovered Farida's secret.
The woman I thought was bookish and looked like a housewife, turned out to have beautiful muscles. Not as big as a bodybuilder's, but at least they were well-trained muscles. Not only on her arms, I even saw her abdominal and thigh muscles. I could see the curves from a distance. Farida had practiced for a long time to get those beautiful muscles and shafts.
Sorry, I didn't intend to peek at her taking a shower at that time. It was a coincidence. And only that one time. Maybe it would have been twice if Farida hadn't thrown a rock at me when I accidentally nudged a bush and made a noise. I ran before she spotted me.
At least, it answered my curiosity. About how Farida was able to throw that hard during my test a few weeks ago. It made sense, considering Farida could not manipulate mana without her special gloves, she needed strong muscle. Relying on such a tool would only hinder or even kill her if she couldn't react quickly to danger.
Enough about Farida already. My basket was almost full and the weather was getting unfriendly. The cold started to penetrate my thick jacket, a sign of a coming snowstorm. Hopefully it won't be too big, because clearing the snow-filled yard was quite tiring. I wouldn't complain if mom told me to, but it was part of Rosch's job.
Speaking of Rosch, this morning he went out again. He got on a horse and was soon out of sight. As always, there were monsters to vanquish, he said. However, as long as I was here, I never saw a single one of them. Sure, I didn't expect to meet one.
A howl echoed out. At first, it was just one and very subtle, until they slowly greeted each other. It was a sign that I should turn around and go home. Going any further than this, I might be doomed. Even if I could fight one wolf, it didn't mean I could win against a full pack. I was not that crazy.
I put down the basket and began to stretch. I brushed off the snow that had accumulated on my head and shoulders, then used fire magic to warm my body. Nothing was more pleasant in winter than warmth. When my body stopped shivering, I slung the basket back and turned around.
"ARRGGHH!"
Before I could take the first step home, a scream echoed through the air. I could tell, it was a red flag.
Should I go check it out? No, wait a minute. I promised to return without causing any trouble. So I should go home now.
But, could it be acceptable to abandon others when they're in trouble, especially in the middle of the forest like this? If I ignored them, I wouldn't have learned my lesson from the rabbit case.
I gritted my teeth, clenched my fingers, and let out a long breath. I left the basket by the tree and quickly ran to the source of the sound. My feet had a hard time keeping up with the pace, getting stuck once or twice in the thick snow.
I kept running without making too much noise. Because this was important. If he or she was attacked by bandits or wolves, I shouldn't be spotted first so I could launch a surprise attack.
Having gone far enough, my ears guided me to the location where the sound came from. Passing through the bushes and I saw a movement through the gaps.
"Help! Help! Somebody help me!" The man shouted as he hobbled over. His voice sounded exhausted. He kept running even though he stumbled in the thick snow. The bleeding arm left a red trail on the white surface.
Just as I was about to go out to help, a sudden chill ran down my spine, forcing me to stay hidden. It wasn't the cold of winter. What I felt came from the darkness that suddenly appeared from the white hill behind the man.
A deep guttural voice, an aggressive, threatening sound echoed through the air. That darkness manifested itself as a wolf. Not the wolf I saw on Wikipedia, this one was twice the size of the man it chased. Armed with two fangs as long as an adult's arm, it looked ready to rip into prey.
My legs trembled. Followed by a sharp intake of breath. For the first time, I felt a threat. The figure of the monster mentioned in geography class appeared in front of me.
Should I let it take that man's life so I could survive? It might be the wisest choice.
However, what would I say to Mom and Rosch? Leaving a helpless man to his death and then just walking away? No doubt Mom won't be able to smile warmly at me later. Rosch would label me as the biggest loser in history. And Farida? Perhaps, she would distrust me forever.
That left me with one choice. While the man continued to run away from the monster wolf, I had to come up with a strategy.
I took a deep breath. The white vapor which blocked my view was evidence of my brain running various simulations. I wouldn't be able to win if I went head-to-head. Our physical comparison was too wide. I only had the option to fight indirectly. A trap was the easiest way. It sounded good.
I kept observing how the man was trying hard to escape. He even threw away his backpack. Still, the monster didn't stop. The man tried to outwit the monster. He slipped into the dense trees making it difficult for the creature to reach him.
I dipped both hands into the snowdrifts until they touched the ground. I took a deep breath, again and again. Yet, my heart was still racing. My eyes didn't blink, all my senses focused on one moment.
When the last tree fell, the man was right in front of it. The man screamed with all his breath, calling for help in the middle of the silent forest. The wolf monster didn't care about the language it didn't understand. Quick as a flash, the monster leapt up, opened its jaws and–
Now!
"Earth Impale!" A spear-like pointed earth was formed from the ground to stab into the monster's body. Fresh blood spurted out from the wound point along with a thunderous scream. I struck the heart and it should die.
"Leave!" I stood up from the bush and revealed myself. "You go! Let me distract it!"
The man was confused. He had no choice but to run with all his might in the opposite direction. My attention from the man was distracted by the menacing growl of the monster. The creature broke my Earth Impale and stood on all of its four legs.
"What? How is that possible? Didn't I already stab its heart?"
A greenish glow engulfed its body. Its wound began to regenerate.
"Don't tell me that's healing magic? I thought magic was only for highly intelligent beings?"
Without a second thought, I chanted Earth Impale magic multiple times to attack him. Only one Earth Impale managed to hit him, and that was on the leg. The monster had swift movement.
The glare in the monster's eyes locked onto me. It ran wildly while letting out an aggressive howl. Its legs quickly climbed the hill I was standing on. Within ten seconds, I would be devoured. Run away? That would be a wise choice ... or not. I could not escape from it.
I must attack! But where? Its head? But it would be useless if the monster could heal it again! Random attacks were also useless and wasted a lot of mana!
Attack its head. Break it with stones and burn its brain with fire magic.
"W-who are you!?"
Do it or you're finished...
The strange voice rang in my head and disappeared after saying something. I had no choice. There was only one magic I could use. A magic that I developed with Farida. Could it be that the voice was asking me to use it? But, how could it know?
Nah, I should not think about that!
I straightened both hands forward and flowed as much mana as possible. At once, I created a chunk of pointed stone and compressed it to its maximum point. I used air magic and burned oxygen as propane, to create explosive power as a thrust. I turned the pointed stone like a drill until there was a loud whirring sound. The stone was red hot.
At the same time, the monster jumped up and opened its jaws to shred me. In the air, he won't be able to move. I was in the same position. I had to aim. Missing was not an option. One moment right before its fangs scraped the skin, I fired a Stone Bullet towards its head. The super-rotating hot stone rushed through the skull and exploded.
I was blown away by the explosive power of the magic I used. My body was dragged across the snow surface until it hit a tree. The impact produced excruciating pain, accompanied by a loud buzzing in my ears and a burning sensation on my face.
When I opened my eyes, everything was a blur. Then a scene began to take shape. The ground at the far end, where I stood against the monster, formed a circle that radiated heat, soared smoke, and melted the snow around it.
I gulped. I hoped the monster was truly dead. I had no intention of confirming it, as my goal had been achieved.
I caught my breath and prepared to rise. However, my right hand failed to serve as a support, and I slipped down. I tried to move it, but there was no response. When I turned my head to the right, the hand in charge of rotating the stone was twisted and blood was flowing from it.
This sight provoked pain. As a result, this body instinct almost made me scream. That was a close one. If that happened, then my position would be discovered. I needed more time.
I took a deep breath. Afterwards, I performed healing magic with my left hand. This wound should be curable. It was still a fresh wound. In theory, as long as it didn't cut off, basic healing magic could take care of it.
Five minutes passed and I managed to move my right hand. Although the skin and some muscles were still stiff, it was getting better. I stood up and walked to get the basket. My staggered steps eventually caused me to trip.
Oh no. The cold began to penetrate my tattered jacket. If I stayed here too long, I'd get hypothermia. I flexed all my muscles to stand up again. Before heading home, I warmed my body with fire magic.
The journey back was tough with my exhausted body. I burned mana too much. No calculations over the results. It was indeed negligence on my part. I hoped that no monsters would come after me. Or I would lose.
I shouldn't have to act like a hero. It nearly cost me my second chance.
I stopped walking and looked at my both palms. Once again repeating the sentence I was thinking just now.
Could I be more human than before?
A smile was etched on my face. I didn't know if it was a smile filled with regret or pride. One thing's for sure, mom would be proud. Well, maybe after a little scolding here and there.
My feet moved until my house was in sight. Soon I would be able to sleep peacefully in my soft bed. Somehow, the world was turned upside down. It wasn't. I'm the one who fell and flipped over.
Damn it! Come on! It's not time to sleep!
Oi! Oi! Oi! Damna!
"Damna!"
When my eyes opened, I found my body already in the room. The voice came from Mom, who was holding my hand. There were Rosch, Farida and a bunch of people I didn't recognize. Ah, except for the man with the beard and dressed like a clown.
Mom hugged me tightly and cried. Everyone was silent until she calmed down. I couldn't say anything either, because her tears came because of my negligence.
After mom's tears subsided, she gave Rosch time to speak.
"What happened, Damna?" he asked.
"A monster... A black-furred wolf--"
The faces of Rosch and the people I didn't know became tense. With just two words. I had yet to explain what was going on in detail.
"This is bad. They're coming faster than expected," the bearded man said. "We have to move, Rosch. Tomorrow or the day after, this house must be vacated."
"What do you mean?" Farida interrupted.
"Let's look outside, Miss." The man went to open the door and pointed to the North. I followed behind. Mom helped me stand up even though she told me not to.
"The dark clouds have descended."
He pointed at the black cloud that was over the Northern ice mountains and slowly moving down. It wasn't a black cloud, he said.
"It's a swarm of monsters...Black-Horned Wolf. Soon this place will become their hunting ground." |
Time flew by, and now I was six years old.
For the past three years, most of my time was to understand the native language. Mom helped me all the way. She brought me to the village hall and let me talk with the other children. On some occasions, she took me to the market. It was a busy place and I heard many accents.
I also learned to write letters with a piece of wood on the ground and listen to how they sounded. When I was unsure about it, I asked Rosch or mom. But not every day.
Even though I was busy with the language, I still continued to explore the magic. Water, earth, air, and fire. I could do all of them and no longer felt sluggish in the past few months. It seemed that the energy capacity inside my body had also grown along with my age.
Could it be that the energy pool inside me was growing because I kept practicing it?
A few weeks ago, when my mother took me to the village hall, I witnessed a five-year-old kid who fainted when she used the Water Sphere five times. Meanwhile, I was able to use it forty times without sweat.
Based on that, it was true that the magic capacity within a person could be developed like a muscle.
Speaking of muscles, when I was five years old, I started exercising my legs, arms, and abdomen at Rosch's behest. He said that moving my body would improve the circulation of blood and mana in the body.
Occasionally, I practiced a few martial arts moves such as karate, taekwondo, and boxing. But only to the basic level for safety purposes.
I still kept my martial arts training a secret from them. Because when my mom and Rosch found out that I could use magic, they forbade me from overusing it. They said I could be sucked in by nature itself. Their statement sounded odd. However, I didn't want them to worry. In the end, my magic training schedule was shortened.
Speaking of magic training, sometimes I remembered the moment with Aila. The little girl who opened my eyes to the world and magic. She taught me a lot and there was no way I could forget her.
I had a suffocating emptiness in my chest each time I remembered her. Mom said it was a longing when I questioned what it was. Her answer brought tears to my eyes. It was the same feeling when I wanted to meet my deceased mother.
"You will meet again." Mom's words three years ago compelled me to keep my promise. Therefore, I should not be sad until it is fulfilled.
This morning was so cold. Much colder than usual. To repel it, I threw firewood into the fireplace and burned it with magic. When the flames were burning, I sat down and enjoyed the warmth.
Mom also came here. She brought a blanket for both of us. Then she held me tightly in her arms.
"Isn't it cold today, sweetheart?" she said.
"Should I turn up the heat, Mama?"
"Not necessary, Damna. Hugging you warms me up just fine."
I chuckled. "Mama... is a flirt."
"Huh? Where did you learn that word? Did Rosch teach you?" Mom turned my body around and my face was now in front of her. There was a wrinkle on her forehead.
"F-from Rosch's guest, Ma." I was speaking out of turn. I didn't remember.
However, my answer didn't lessen the wrinkles on her forehead.
"It must be that bearded man! Mama will forbid your dad to bring him here again!" Mom clenched her hands. She threw a fist or two like a boxer.
Ah, I didn't want to be responsible if your partner dies at the hands of your wife, Rosch. It was your fault, you know?
Suddenly, her face looked puzzled. "You still don't refer to Rosch as your dad, my dear?"
Ack! I had been trying so hard not to remind mom about this anymore. I didn't know why it was so difficult to call Rosch father. Maybe the problem was not with Rosch but with the father figure itself.
As far back as I could remember, there was such a figure when I was in middle school, but it completely vanished after that.
What exactly had happened to my past? Was it because I had reincarnated into this world that some of my memories had gone?
Perhaps so. However, as long as I still remembered my mother clearly, I didn't need anything else. That alone was enough.
"Umm... he' s being nosy," I answered as best I could.
Mom grinned as she listened to my response. Then she held me tightly. "It's all right, sweetheart. However, please call him a dad someday."
I returned my mom's hug. My little fingers wrapped around her neck. A smile crossed my face along with a small nod.
The door of the house was knocked on a few times. Mom immediately released her hug and rushed to open the door.
"Haah! It's so cold outside!" complained Rosch. The man came in and brought the cold with him. Then he shivered and shut the door.
Mom brushed off the clumps of snow on Rosch's shoulders and helped him out of his robe.
"So how was it, dear? Did you find it?" asked Sonja as she folded her husband's robe.
Rosch chuckled. Then he stepped over here and lifted me high. "Sure. I also got the half price, honey."
Half price? Were they buying something? Maybe it was because we needed more clothes than usual during this winter. However, seeing them smile like this, it felt like they kept something from me.
"Thank goodness! When?" said Sonja enthusiastically.
"As soon as possible. If the snowstorm passes early, maybe in two or three days."
Mom hugged Rosch and kissed him on the lips after hearing his response.
To be honest, I still didn't understand what underlies their happiness on such a cold morning.
After three days, a young woman with glasses and an oversized robe resembling an Eskimo showed up with a suitcase.
"Is this Mr Rosch's residence?" The woman asked.
"It is. I am Rosch," he replied.
Rosch invited her to come in before she could introduce herself. The woman smiled and thanked him. Rosch offered to help hang up her robe. Then he led her to the table where food and drinks were being served.
Before she sat down on a chair, she drew her left leg back, her fingers lifted her dress a bit, and then bowed towards us. "Blessings and peace be upon you. My name is Farida. I am a teacher and used to teach at a small school in Redwall City."
For a brief moment, my parents exchanged glances. The woman by the name of Farida appeared to have quite formal manners.
To avoid an awkward situation, Mom spoke after bowing her head slightly, "Greetings. I got your name earlier from my husband. Before that, I would like to ask you about your expertise, Ms Farida."
Farida straightened her body and then replied in a polite tone. "I can teach reading, writing and arithmetic. I know the general geography, basic manners and languages of the Southern Continent, Madam."
"What about magic? Can you teach it?"
"Of course, Madam. I know magic incantations up to the Oracle class even though I can't use them."
Her statement piqued my curiosity. "What does that mean?" I asked spontaneously.
The woman looked into my eyes and smiled. "I was born on New Year's Eve. That's why I got the curse and can't manipulate mana other than at the basic level under certain conditions."
My parents lowered their heads to some degree. It seemed that they felt a little guilty because I asked something quite sensitive.
"Mr and Mrs Rosch do not need to feel guilty. It was a common question to me."
Rosch and Mother let out a long breath, then smiled a bit. They quickly finished their introductions and invited Farida to sit down to enjoy the food on the table. The breakfast this time was more crowded than usual.
At first, I was perplexed by the overwhelming amount of food that Mom cooked. It turned out that an important guest was coming. A teacher they hired to teach me. It was impossible not to smile when I realized they were doing this for me.
Rosch unexpectedly revealed something to us as we were still enjoying breakfast. "In the tiny town of Mona, I was fortunate to meet a teacher like you. Damna, my boy, enjoys reading and writing. He has a strong passion for learning. He is also incredibly committed to mastering magic; at times, he even passes out. Hence, I was happy when you accepted the offer."
"I'm grateful," Farida said after setting her fork down and wiping her lips with a napkin. "When Mr Rosch mentioned that your son was born on New Year's Eve, but has a passion for learning. I was touched. Because as a fellow person who was born during a tough period, I want to help him live a better life."
Quit making me feel touched and proud of you, Rosch. Honestly, you're better off being a witty guy with a weird sense of humor. I was speechless when you unexpectedly revealed yourself as a nice parent figure.
I understood what Farida just said. About fate and comradeship. Trying to survive even though we were destined to be odd people.
"I will do my best." That sentence slipped out and brought everyone's attention to me. A second later, they chuckled. Then Mom gently stroked my head.
"That's right, sweetheart. You have to try your best."
After breakfast ended, my day filled with study sessions began.
***
The first study session started as noon approached.
Farida took out of her bag a stack of papers, some books, and stationery and arranged them neatly on the dining table. She then took a seat next to me.
"First of all, I would like to know the extent of your literacy and arithmetic skills, Mr Damna."
"No need to use Mr, Damna is fine."
I felt uncomfortable because she was the first person who suddenly say my name with an honorific. Moreover, I was still too young for that.
Farida smiled and repeated her question. "Alright, Damna. May I test your knowledge?"
I nodded and felt ready for the test she was about to give. Farida handed me a quill and ink. On cue, I started the test.
I received five pieces of paper in total. It was a test of reading, word pronunciation, sentence construction, and basic math.
About thirty minutes passed and the results were out. I failed at sentence construction. Then on the reading test, I could do half of it. And for the arithmetic test, I had great success as it only contained simple addition and subtraction.
I considered myself a failure, but Farida didn't. Instead, the woman with the glasses said, "Good job, Damna, you've got the capabilities of a ten-year-old who attends primary school in Redwall city."
My lips curled upwards at her praise. "Thank you. However, I am not that good, Ms Farida."
Her gorgeous face flashed another smile. "Since you've already passed the elementary stage, we'd better start from the intermediate stage."
Eh? seriously? Then all my hard work had not been in vain. Perhaps, I would be smarter than Rosch.
Then, my expectations did not come true.
Lessons for the intermediate level turned out to be very difficult. Even though I could read the words, when I arranged them in phrases, they sounded odd. If I may use an example, it sounds like an engine stuttering.
These intermediate reading and writing sessions were taxing. The amount of exhaustion was the same as casting forty Water Splashes Spell in a row. I didn't expect learning essential skills to be so challenging.
I rested my head on the desk when the lesson was over. Meanwhile, Farida organized every paper, and book, and then tidied up the desk as before. To be honest, I wanted to help, but I had no energy left.
The door opened and Mom came back after finishing her business. She immediately came over and caressed my head several times.
"How did his study go, Ms Farida?"
"He's doing his best. I'm sure within a year he will be proficient in reading and writing."
Eh? A year? I thought learning to write would only take about three months. Wait a second. If I compared it to elementary school on Earth, a year was fairly short. Yet, I had a hunch that each day would be exhausting.
Mom held me after listening to Farida's answer. "My son is a genius," she said, her lips immediately kissing my face wildly.
After she was satisfied with invading my face, she put me back down. Then someone else came over.
"Oh, have you finished studying, Damna?" he asked.
I nodded and a smile spread across his face.
Mom immediately hugged him and started telling him how great I was. Honestly, my ears turned red. I was not used to being praised like this.
"Oh, about your bed," Mom asked suddenly. "Do you mind sleeping in the living room, Ms Farida?"
"I don't mind, Mrs Rosch. I've brought a thick mat for my bed."
This house only had two bedrooms, one for Mother and Rosch, and one for me. So it was only natural for Farida to sleep in the living room. However, it didn't feel very nice. Because to me, she looked much younger than me in terms of age. Then I suggested something.
"Mama, what if Ms Farida sleeps in my room?"
Everyone was surprised. The room fell silent in no time.
"Uh, you don't mind?" Mom asked.
I shook my head. "No problem, Mama. Besides, my room is still spacious."
My parents seemed perplexed. And suddenly, Rosch's face turned ugly, flashing an absurd smile.
"Oh, it turns out my son is precocious."
Hey, Rosch? You seriously said that in front of a six-year-old? The respect I had for you this morning vanished.
"Shut up!" Mom punched Rosch in the stomach and made him take a few steps back.
Hehehe. You deserved that, Rosch.
Instead of dropping my suggestion, Mom threw the final decision to Farida. "I have no problem as long as you don't share a bed with Damna. What do you think, Ms Farida?"
Farida remained confused. She glanced at me as if she needed to be reassured. I threw a smile. Whatever she chose, I agreed with it.
After she took a few times, her attention returned to Mother and Rosch.
"I will take this offer, Mrs Rosch. If it isn't too burdensome for you."
I was relieved.
I used to be a person who found it difficult to feel empathy, but I always had a high respect for my teachers. It was the reason why I agreed with sharing my private place with someone like her.
Yet, It seemed that my decision was a bit of a mistake. I overlook Farida as a mature woman. Thus, for the first time, I heard an erotic moan from a woman in person. This was truly a shocking experience.
On this night, my parents were making out like crazy. Usually, there were only faint moans from behind the wooden wall. This time, though, was very different. They were quite passionate for no reason.
Maybe that was what drove Farida to do it.
I had no choice but to cover my ears. I hope sleepiness took me away from their moaning competition. |
Four months had passed. Besides the magic lessons, I managed to make satisfactory progress. Especially the arithmetic lesson. My favorite topic was about currencies and how they compare to other countries' currencies. Soon, I would be smarter on this matter, more than Rosch.
In writing subjects, I memorized every alphabet and could make sentences. I did my best, especially in an ancient language that was used for incantations.
There were other subjects, Farida said, that were quite important, such as writing poems, official letters, and compliments for nobles. For the latter, I had no idea where the urgency lay.
Then for the reading subject, it was just a matter of recognizing the ancient language commonly used for magic circles and its implementation. She didn't teach this earlier, because the magic subject halted.
Right. I was faltering. My progress in manipulating the Mana Coating found a dead end. Since my body was unable to produce a proportional Mana Coating naturally, Ms Farida said that I should be able to do it by force.
"Are you still practicing, sweetheart?" Mom came into my room. She came over and sat next to me.
" I am, Mama."
She chuckled, then hugged me, and landed a warm peck on my forehead. "My son is a hard worker."
I grinned. I could say that her smile was my pride.
If anyone had questions about why I never gave up, it was this woman. She gave me huge emotional support. Although sometimes she became terrible if I broke my curfew.
I smelled the familiar scent of my mother's body. This odor made all the restlessness lose its meaning. In comfort, my eyes soon caught a scratch on her right arm.
"Mama, let me heal this scar."
"Are you allowed to use magic?"
"She forbids all magic except healing magic, Mama."
Mom released her embrace, and then looked into my eyes. "Alright. Let's see how far my little mage has come."
The smirk painted on her face made me smile again. It bewitched me.
Satisfied with her gracious smile, I took a deep breath, focused, and cast a spell.
A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Allow me to use your blessings to restore strength and life, "Healing!"
A faint light flashed and the scars on the right arm disappeared.
"I'm good, aren't I, Mama?"
Mom was late in responding. It was an unusual thing to happen. When I looked up, her eyes were wide open; her jaw refused to close.
"Mama?"
Her arms wrapped around me once again. I was confused. Perhaps she was stunned that I hadn't cast the entire incantations with my voice?
My brain tried to find an answer, but I was distracted by another scar on her neck. I asked her permission to heal it. Mom nodded and I casted the spell.
When I pulled my body, I saw another scar around her face and immediately cast the same spell. One by one, scars on her body disappeared.
I never thought that her beautiful face had so many scratches. Could it be that she got all these while working in the fields? Or while collecting firewood?
I wish I was old enough, so mom wouldn't have to do that menial work anymore. However, I couldn't show a look of regret in front of her. What I needed to paint on this face was an expression full of happiness and seriousness. So, I put on a proud smile and waited for her to treat me as usual.
Yet, Mom pinched my cheek. "Eh? Why did you pinch me?"
She laughed and refused to give a reason. As her left hand reached for my cheek once again, I could see another scar on her palm. It extended to the wrist like a stitched wound. I had seen this before.
"Mama, I will heal this too."
Without waiting for a reply from Mom, I immediately cast a healing spell. But, nothing changed. The scar was still there. I tried again and got the same result.
My forehead wrinkled. Could it be that Healing magic didn't work on old wounds? That was my current hypothesis.
"Sorry, Mama. Damna will learn high-level healing magic to help you."
Mom hugged me tightly for the second time. I could feel tightness.
"Damna dear," she whispered. "It's fine. This wound is proof of love. So you don't need to heal it."
"A proof of love?"
She released her hug and kissed my forehead. "Yeah. It's proof of love."
I didn't understand. Could it be a wound from when Rosch and Mother met? A wound that bound them into marriage? It was romantic, but it didn't seem possible.
Well, I shouldn't overthink it. Most importantly, our family was happy enough.
***
I told yesterday's situation to Ms Farida, who had just returned from Mona City.
"That's right," she said. "Old wounds are difficult to heal, but that doesn't mean it's impossible."
"Can a high-level magic be able to heal it?"
My teacher who was checking my exam results put down her quill. "Most of it is indeed determined by how strong the type of healing magic used is. However, the other part is determined by the cause."
"Eh?"
"If the wound was caused by a certain mythical creature, a heavy curse, or Divine-class magic, then it is impossible to recover."
Hmm... Was it possible that Mom's wound was caused by a mythical beast attack? But, only that wound was different. When we bathed together, I never saw any other wounds on her body.
Suddenly, Ms Farida hit the table along with my exam papers.
"Damna...Why are you never serious about writing compliments for the noble?"
I saw her furrowed brows, gleaming canines, as well as the red devil aura that emerged from her back.
Ouch, she was mad.
"S-sorry, Ms Farida. I don't understand."
Ms Farida couldn't express her irritation to me because it was an inappropriate thing to do. For that reason, she preferred to remain silent and took a deep breath.
"Could it be that there are nobles who upset you to the point that the sentences you write contain only satire?"
"Satire? What does that mean, ma'am?"
Ah, I could see her forehead swelling. Of course, I understood what satire means. And just as she suspected, My brain forced me to remember that bearded man. Yep, the bearded aristocrat who dressed like a circus clown.
My teacher exhaled another long breath, like train steam. "You have to redo it and submit it next week. I will give you a whole week to think. No more faking it, Damna."
"All right, Ms Farida."
Hearing my answer, Ms Farida quickly swapped the thick book on the table with the one in her bag. She also opened a map.
"Are we going to study geography again?"
"That's right. This book is one of those general summaries of the continent. Something you'll be studying for a long time."
Aside from magic, I was excited about this subject. Learning about geography, culture, and flora was something that a child would love. The book came with beautiful illustrations and had color in it.
Anyway, Ms Farida explained about my village today.
The village's name was Millah. My village is found in the eastern part of the Main Continent. It was under the protection of the Abbas Kingdom, although the village was part of the Eastern Trade Alliance.
The cause of these strange circumstances was their weak military power. The Eastern Trade Alliance was a collection of many merchant families and two small kingdoms which never waged war.
Eventually, cooperation between the Abbas Kingdom and the Eastern Trade Alliance took place. It resulted in agreements including the protection of the village where I lived.
To the north, the forests lined up with the icy mountains. The nearest settlement, Winter Robe, required five to ten days of traveling by horse.
Then to the West is the City of Shuyana, which is called the Continent Roundabout. The name came because it was located on the border of four nations. Anyone who wanted to go to another nation had to take a detour. The reason behind this strange custom was the region in the center. It was called Hell's Gate.
According to Ms Farida, Hell's Gate was the abyss in the world and dangerous creatures lived. Anyone who fell to the bottom never came back. Despite the danger, the place provided many resources and new types of flora that had never been discovered.
"So that's why adventurers gather there," I concluded.
"That's right. Many nations made a lot of requests with high rewards for new objects they can find. In short, Hell's Gate is the fastest way to acquire wealth."
"High risk, high reward."
She smiled. "Nonetheless, in recent months, the place has been banned from entry. The reason is still unknown. Hence, adventurers have begun to move away to find work in other cities. While those who stayed there, some of them changed professions until the ban was lifted."
I believed adventurers are just like freelancers, working when they want. Without having to force ourselves. It turned out to be not as easy as I thought.
"Then where is Mona City?"
"Here." Her finger pointed to the map, then slightly downwards. "South of this village. About a day's journey by horse."
Rosch often went there, so I was quite curious about the distance.
"Mona Town is a small and neutral town. Adventurers from different countries get equal rights without discrimination. The best trait of the town was their reputable postal services," she explained.
I also asked about Redwall City, the capital of the Eastern Trade Alliance. This city, Ms Farida said, had the fastest access to the Eastern Continent. The Eastern Continent is also known as the Sibil Continent. A place where humans would find it difficult to live because of the extreme weather and ferocious creatures.
My teacher argued that the cause of the extreme weather and a large number of dangerous beasts was a side effect of the creation of magic and a large flow of mana. Of course, this was her hypothesis.
The geography lesson closed with a little explanation about ecosystem-destroying creatures called monsters. Monsters exist for a variety of reasons and could pose a danger to other living things. There is no definition of what and who can become a monster. Therefore, humans could also become monsters themselves.
Based on that definition, on earth, humans could be said to be the real monsters that destroy the world's ecosystems.
Ms Farida also wanted to talk about the Elves, Beastkin, and Demon Race. But, my eyes were no longer able to open. She understood that and let me take a nap.
Night fell and I was currently in her room.
Ms Farida was no longer sleeping in my room. Since spring had arrived, Rosch made a room for her, although it wasn't as beautiful as the others. At least it protected her from the heat and cold.
Three times a week, I let her examine my body. Of course, not in any other sense. She was just doing it for research on the New Year's Eve curse.
In addition, she ordered me to do several things including Mana Coating, Battle Aura and using my Spiritual Eyes. The rest were a bunch of questions about how I felt during the Mana Coating training.
"Teacher, is it true that the first developer of magic was a cursed child?"
Ms Farida turned her chair around and faced me. "Whether it's true or not, I can't be sure. However, it is one of the popular myths in the magic institutions in the Abbas Kingdom. The theory is supported by the truth that only the cursed child can see the flow of mana coming out of their body."
"If it's just that, can it be used as a reference?"
"It's our job as researchers to prove whether the myth is true or not, right?"
I nodded, agreeing with her opinion. Seeing a woman like this working diligently and using her wits, reminded me of Milena, my junior when I lived on earth. Yet, until my death came, I didn't hear any news from her.
After thirty minutes, the examination was over. I hurried back to my room. Before I closed the door, something came to my brain.
"Ms Farida?"
"Yes?"
"Did you know about the chair?"
Ms Farida was in a daze. She pointed to the chair that was in use. "This one?"
I shook my head and bid her goodnight.
The teacher didn't know about the chair. So, what exactly did I see before my ability to use magic awakened?
Maybe it was all a dream, but the sensation was too real. It was useless to push myself when my toddler's brain was too small to solve this.
Overcome by drowsiness, I quickly threw myself onto the bed and enjoyed the night under the warm blanket.
Not knowing what disturbed my sleep, I woke up in the middle of the night. Seeing the candlelight still burning in the living room, I intended to put it out. However, I heard something. I slowly opened the door and saw two women having a discussion. Mom and Farida. Their voices were so faint that I couldn't hear what they were talking about.
Mom burst into tears. I instinctively forced myself to open the door. "Mama?"
Both of them were surprised. Mom wiped away the tears and hurried to take me in her arms. Her fingers stroked gently through my hair.
"Sweetheart, you had a bad dream, didn't you?" Then her attention returns to the other woman. "Farida, we'll talk about this another time."
"Okay, Mrs Rosch."
With that, they finished their conversation and returned to their respective rooms. My eyes briefly glanced at Farida. I felt nothing but a look of concern and sadness in her eyes. That brought both relief and a question mark to my mind.
"Damna, will you sleep with Mama tonight?" she asked, then kissed my forehead while hugging me tightly.
I nodded and rested my head on her chest.
The morning came. I wanted to ask why she cried last night. But every time I got the chance, my feet went cold and not a word came out of my mouth.
It was a secret that was never known until that moment. |
I hope you enjoy the story! If you don't mind, please give me some advices to make it better. :)
*****
The sky sent down rain as if mourning for her. I heard the cry, but mine was silent.
If I could turn back time, I would skip my work and spend time with her instead. Even for a minute, I wanted to express my deepest gratitude. And asked her one question I'd had for ages.
Why did you stay by my side all this time, even though I was a cursed child?
That question would never come to the light. The flower I placed on her body was a sign of my surrender to pursue the answer.
At this moment, I stood beside the coffin and saw my mother sleeping on it in a beautiful dress. She was a beautiful woman. Yet, not a single person complimented her tonight. They came, said their parting words, and left.
Fifteen minutes later, I decided to sit on the nearest chair. As I walked past the guests, my ears caught something.
"Hey, look at him... Even at his mother's funeral, he acted casual."
"Not a single tear on his face."
"Could the rumors about her son being a psychopath be true?"
Although they were whispering, I could hear them. Some people who came to the funeral assumed that I was the jinx.
They weren't wrong. I shared the same opinion. Even on this day, I was unable to grieve at all. I couldn't feel sadness; I didn't feel loss, nor did there was anything wrong with my mother's death.
Everything that lives will die
. A book taught me so. Mother was the same. Everyone should understand such a natural thing. But why did they seem to think I was wrong in understanding it?
I wanted to be honest, they weren't wrong. I've realized the truth; it was me. I was abnormal according to today's society.
Yet, I never considered myself a psychopath. Many people thought that I couldn't feel emotions. They were wrong. I could feel anger, frustration, annoyance, and spite. I also felt happy when my work did well, and satisfied when my mother cooked my favorite food.
Still, I found it difficult to empathize.
Out of all the different types of emotions, I only wanted one. A sadness. Because I still didn't understand why my mother cried for a man, whose face I could not remember. I also didn't understand the tears she shed when I used to get into trouble. Including her screams on certain nights that disturbed my sleep for years.
Her crying and laughter were the two emotions I wanted to understand the most. Because my mother often laughed and cried, sometimes for no reason.
I was envious. To the point that it made me want to go to where my mother was, and then asked her. Perhaps in the realm of death, my mother could explain how to turn the heaviness in my chest into sorrow or she could be more honest to admit that I was the source of all her tears.
And finally, my mother's funeral was over. People went home after encouraging me to stay strong. I understood their words well, but I couldn't comprehend them as anything other than a pity directed at a mere child. They were useless sentences.
When the last person left, I stayed here, staring at my mother's name engraved on the tombstone. In this rain, I didn't know what to do. The cold gravestone just sat and wouldn't answer my questions even if I had.
I sighed and went back home.
After changing my soaked clothes, I decided to clean up the house and rearrange it as before. It took a lot of time, but the result was perfect, similar to what my mother did. Yet, something different. It felt deserted for no reason.
I sat back on my mom's bed and closed my eyes. Hoping that my tiredness would be washed away along with the rain. In the back of my mind, I hoped that all of this was a dream.
Morning came and mother was not here. I got up, left, and closed the door. I stood still, then opened her room once again only to discover the same emptiness.
I had to accept reality. But, this terrible anxiety still lingered and gnawed at me. I wanted to get rid of this overwhelming feeling that kept squeezing my chest.
I took some time to gather my thoughts and then I left for the office after closing the door.
When I arrived at the workplace, the boss immediately approached me.
"Phil, you don't have to come in today," my boss said, "you can take the day off and let your junior take care of the job."
"I don't want to inconvenience anyone, sir," I replied, "the work in my department is already piling up."
Boss sighed. He rubbed his forehead and asked, "What about Milena? Have you heard from her yet?"
"Not yet, sir. I went to her residence but Milena wasn't there. Her parents have also reported her to the police."
"She's been missing for more than two weeks. She's such a talented and hardworking girl. I hope she's okay."
After saying that, Boss left and returned to his desk.
Milena was a junior in the department and I was in charge of her. She had been with the company for two years. Her achievements were quite outstanding and I had recommended her for promotion. However, she refused because she didn't want to be responsible for so many things.
I understood the gloomy look on the boss' face. He had lost someone who could improve the performance of his company. Besides,
the rice had become porridge
. Now I had to take care of all her remaining work as best I could.
I returned to my desk and started work. For nine hours, I would sit here as usual. Nothing has changed.
I thought everything would be the same. It wasn't.
My work felt heavy and my performance worsened. Seeing my condition, my boss forced me to go home. He kicked me out.
I didn't understand that even though my work was a mess, if he kicked me out then the work still wouldn't get done. It would only be a loss for him.
But, the red ugly face of his, I didn't dare to argue. I did what he wanted. I left and walked around the city to pass the time until nightfall.
I tried to follow the memories of the past that were playing in my head. I remembered how my mother used to give me food at the supermarket on this street. I went in and bought everything my mom had ever bought. There were so many things, even the cashier was confused.
"Are you sure you bought this much, sir?"
I looked at all my purchases and nodded. "Yes. Please count everything."
I walked out of the supermarket with three plastic bags filled with all my groceries.
"It looks like I won't be able to carry all of it." I sighed.
Then, a homeless man offered to help carry my groceries. I let him carry two plastic bags and told him to bring them to his place if he had one. He was confused, but I didn't want to explain and simply walked away.
The night wasn't over. But my steps were already not far from my mother's house. I didn't want to go back there yet. I took a detour to spend the night until the new day came.
I stopped at an intersection. There were two narrow streets in front of me. One was a busy street and the other was dark and lonely.
My steps led me to which way to go.
It was dark and there was not a single human there. I walked while counting how many steps I was taking. Then I stopped and looked straight ahead.
A thought entered my head and asked.
This darkness... could it be the same as death?
I didn't understand the question. If all the events were written down in one book, I could read it to understand what I was seeing and feeling right now.
I continued walking in this darkness, and then a spark of light suddenly lit up the narrow path. I heard a woman's scream echoing down the path. I ran to follow the source of the sound and exited the dark alley. At the end of the street, the street light returned.
There I saw five strange-looking people cornering the woman.
Based on what I read in some novels, if I saved a girl who was being attacked by others, I might be loved or fall in love at first sight. Of course, the percentage of the former was much higher. Although I hoped the latter would be the case.
I ran over and threw my groceries at the man who tried to grab the woman. Then I gave him a quick punch in the face and broke his strange mask. Followed by a hard kick that sent him flying backwards.
I told the woman to get out of here. Although I didn't know if she understood my words. From her clothes, she seemed to be a tourist from a foreign country.
Soon, my worries evaporated. The woman nodded and ran off and stayed in the corner. She didn't leave, but at least she wouldn't be a nuisance.
Then I set up my stance and prepared to take down all five of them.
Based on what I saw, these people seemed unwilling to talk. Their strange masks forced me to make that conclusion. The unfamiliar-looking clothes as well as the weapons they were using looked dangerous. A sword at the waist and a staff that emitted a flash of lightning.
Yet, I felt familiar with their appearance. It was like I'd read it in one of those old-school fantasy novels. Wait. Come on, brain. I had to remember it.
Ah! Marry Hotter! No wonder I felt familiar, they must be wizards. Although their clothes seemed more flashy and modern.
"Oi! You bastard! You have nothing to do with this matter, you'd better hand over that woman," said one of the men, though I couldn't tell which one was speaking.
"How about I give you guys some money and get out of here? I don't understand why you guys want to bully this woman? I can even give you enough money to get a woman who can please you for a whole night."
I did not lie. I had saved up quite a lot of money. Even if I didn't work for five years, I could live comfortably. Not to mention the inheritance from my mother, although it was not much.
"Bastard! Do you think we're such losers?"
Eh? Weren't you? Ganging up on a woman with five men. I didn't know if they missed the ethics and norms lesson all this time. Nah, I shouldn't care about it.
Anyway, they rejected my offer. That was strange. Because I thought they looked like young people who had lost their identity and needed financial help.
They were a bunch of losers in the end.
"Step forward." I challenged them.
One of them shouted while running towards me. His right hand grabbed the sword from his waist. Before he could swing it, I had taken two steps closer and kicked hard at his left leg that was stepping forward. Instantly his body lost its balance and I quickly delivered a left hand punch to the lower half of his face.
A loud sound echoed out. His jaw broke.
Then another one came attacking with a sword. I dodged and grabbed his wrist. He tried to break free, but it was no use. I had learned enough fighting techniques against sharp weapons and firearms.
My eyes shifted to the metal object he was holding. It turned out to be a real sword. I broke his wrist and hit the back of his neck as hard as I could. I had no mercy for the scum of society who even went as far as to carry dangerous objects like this.
After taking down two, I challenged the other three.
"Come."
They hesitated. This was my assumption; but, after the other two fell, they attacked me in a neat formation. Two guys pulled out swords as front fighters, and the one at the back chanted something and made his staff emit the electric flashes I had seen earlier.
They charged in with pretty good coordination. I had to adjust my stance so as not to be out of step while dodging the two sword wielders who were working together to cut me down in quick combos. The third man tried his best to take advantage of the opening by attacking from one side, using a stick that shot two light projectiles at me.
The light projectiles I dodged crashed into one of the empty storehouses and exploded. The loud noise immediately distracted me for a moment. Then I gained a conviction that I shouldn't hold back against them.
One of the sword-wielders swung his weapon toward my neck, but my fist was much faster and hit him hard in the face. His body spun around and landed on a pile of trash.
Then I kicked the chin of the other sword-wielder, who tried to sneak up from behind, and knocked him up in the air. I delivered three hard punches to his neck, chest, and diaphragm while in midair. And I ended up with a hard kick to send him on top of his partner, in the same dumpster.
Next, my feet moved swiftly towards the person who had been emitting the light projectiles. Seeing his reaction when I came charging, it seemed that he had never met a melee fighter with more agility than his comrades.
Without wasting any time, I punched him in the stomach with all my might and disarmed his weapon.
I looked again at each of them. No one was moving. I hoped that no one died or I would have a hard time getting a job.
After cleaning my suit from the blood stains and dust, I approached the girl who was sitting by the electric pole. I extended my hand to her. Suddenly, she panicked and screamed in a language I didn't understand.
Out of the corner of my eyes, an energy projectile shot out as fast as a bullet and managed to pierce my chest. Blood spilled from the hole it created. I tried not to fall, even though all my muscles suddenly numbed. As I turned over, I saw the perpetrator.
"There's one more person left." I vomited blood and then fell to my knees.
"For a mere mortal, you're pretty good," said a man in black robes, emerging from the darkness. "I'm sure you've been studying martial arts and survival techniques for a long time."
"Thank you for the compliment. I'm not interested in hearing your ramblings."
He approached me. At close range, his wand immediately created a ball of lightning. I tried to dodge, but my left hand was stepped on by him.
Damn it!
I roared. An unimaginable burning sensation penetrated my body without mercy.
Before I stumbled, the man grabbed my hair and placed my face in front of his. He removed his mask and revealed the face of a middle-aged man.
"Listen to me," he said, "I'm going to make you my subordinate and–AAARGH!" I bit off his long nose before he could finish his speech.
He struggled in pain and kicked me in the head. I fell and couldn't do anything. My body no longer listened to my commands.
The man approached me while covering his bloodied nose. His other hand placed the tip of the wand on top of my body. He unleashed many lightning balls that struck my body at various points. I no longer felt any pain. I didn't know how many holes had formed in my body.
I was no longer able to hear the voice of the man who seemed to be cursing me. But, he suddenly stepped back while raising his hands. Then a flash of light pierced his head and he fell beside me. Dead.
I laughed, even though my mouth couldn't make a sound.
Afterward, the girl held my head gently and allowed my attention to focus on her. I saw her tears and she mumbled something. I couldn't hear it. Then a pillar of light appeared out of nowhere and looked so majestic.
Could it be the way to heaven?
What a fool. It was impossible for someone like me to go to heaven. Besides, such a place probably didn't exist.
Right now, there was a sense of pride because I managed to save someone else. Yet, I still didn't feel the warmth that people were talking about. Even the girl's hand felt cold as she touched my face.
Perhaps, everything in the novel was nonsense and delusion?
This was not the time to think about such trivial things. I had to focus on taking a breath. Slowly and steadily.
"You can't hurt people, Phil. Even if they come to pick on you,"
said mother. It was a flash of old memories.
Sorry, mother. I broke the promise.
"Ah, you want more fried rice, Phil?"
Yes, mother. I wanted more.
"Huh? You should take a bath after playing around, Phil!"
"Hey, what happened with this scar, Phil? Did you hurt yourself somewhere?"
No ...
I remembered all of it. Every single time, she always smiled and held me close. She shared her kindness with my entire being. A nostalgic feeling. Something that I held dear in my mind.
It was enough, right? I did my best to live. I did my best to be fit in human society. I didn't want to disappoint my mother more than this. I didn't want to break any other promise with her.
Please, before the drowsiness puts me into eternal slumber, let me shed some tears.
For my mother. |
Once I turned seven years old, Rosch began his agenda.
He gave me a short wooden sword and explained what it meant to be a swordsman. Honestly, his explanation was so stilted that I couldn't get any confidence that he was a swordsman.
After a long speech, he demonstrated some basic movements in swordsmanship. Starting from the stance, how to hold the sword, to some basic slashes.
He watched like a hawk as I swung my sword following the moves he had shown me. Then occasionally cheering me on like a cheerleader on a sports field. It felt strange, but if I slowed down or was flattered by his little compliments, he would hit me on the head with his wooden sword. It didn't hurt tho.
Honestly, I preferred hand-to-hand combat. However, I could understand that having the ability to wield a weapon to protect oneself from monsters was essential. When compared to living on earth, the most difficult enemies were humans. But, this was not the case here. Hence, this training was inevitable.
One month had passed. Every morning I was trained by Rosch. As a result, the morning lesson schedule was moved to after naptime. Farida didn't mind it. I even saw her spending more time in her room and helping with chores.
This morning, Mom finished her chores. Together with Farida, she sat on the front porch to watch my first spar with Rosch.
Yup. It was a sparring match between an old man and his unbelievably cute son.
"Damna sweetheart, don't lose to him!"
Mom elbowed Farida, a sign to remind her to encourage me. But, her voice was so quiet that I couldn't tell what she was saying.
"Why doesn't anyone cheer for me?" Rosch complained.
"Of course, because I'm more popular," I retorted.
"Heh! If I beat you, they'll cheer for me. For sure!"
Eh? No intention of giving in to your son? What kind of man are you? Rosch, I'm a seven-year-old child! Please remember that.
Rosch made some distance and then brandished his sword. "Be ready, Damna. You may attack at any time, anywhere."
His smile was so cheeky, like a brat. I could feel his confidence through the air. I meant, what kind of adult cannot win against a child in a fight? That thought crossed my mind. Yet, I didn't think he was that kind of man.
Anyway, I kept my distance, pointed my sword forward, and set up my stance as he had taught me. Then take a few breaths before simulating the battle in my head.
Okay. I've got the picture. My goal is to hit this short sword into his body.
The moment the wind stopped blowing, I ran forward and swung the sword diagonally from below. The loud sound of two training swords hitting echoed through the air. Rosch managed to repel it. I followed up with several hard swings left and right, but all my attacks were blocked.
I jumped two steps back to catch my breath, and then rushed forward again. Taking advantage of my small frame, I focused on the lower part and launched a hard swing at his knee. He jumped to avoid the attack.
As expected, he jumped. I quickly picked up a rock and threw it with my full force. However, Rosch smiled. He swung the sword and slashed the rock in half.
What the hell? This man turned out to be a real swordsman! And how could a wooden sword split a rock?
In a split second, I activated my Spiritual Eyes. Through these cursed eyes, there was a thin, stable membrane encasing Rosch's entire body along with his sword.
So, that's what's called Battle Aura, huh? So practical.
"Is that all you got?" His words ended my daydream.
Rosch's feet landed on the ground. He began to set up a stance. "It's your father's turn to attack, Damna. Get ready!"
Damn!
I quickly maintained my distance as he started galloping toward me. I couldn't run away. The comparison of our physical capacities was too much. However, I couldn't go down without a fight.
I blocked his sword while maintaining my stance. He continued to attack from various directions. Every swing of his sword felt so heavy that it forced me to grasp my sword with both hands and take a step back.
Counterattack? No way. There was no gap for it. I could only block until my hands were numb.
Ah, I hate losing to this man. Even if the means were dirty, I must win.
Unfortunately, determination alone was not enough to win the fight. My butt fell to the ground and the sword spun into the air and landed in the same place.
A crushing defeat.
"Hahaha! Look at me, Damna! I'm awesome, right?"
This man was so pathetic. How can he boast after defeating a child? Rosch, you should touch the grass for a while.
"Damna, sweetheart!" Mom ran over and picked me up. "You did great!"
It felt strange to be praised despite losing.
"Eh? Really, Mama?" A smile etched on my face.
"It's true, dear. Right, Farida?"
Farida, who was following behind, also smiled. "That's right, Sonja. It was quite difficult to withstand the attack of an Oracle-class swordsman, but he did it."
"Huh? No one's applauding the real winner here?" Rosch tried to get attention.
"In our hearts, Damna is the winner," Mom quipped.
"That's right." The two women laughed in unison.
I hadn't expected Farida to join in on this morning's charade. I wonder when they became close. Perhaps, since the discussion on that night.
Rosch's frowning face immediately drew laughter from Mom. To be honest, I laughed too, or rather, laughed at him. Please consider it part of your karma, Rosch. You deserved it.
The next day, my body was aching. I should not push myself like yesterday. It was hard to get up now. All I could do was bury my face in my favorite soft pillow.
"Damna, dear?" Mom opened the door. "Are you okay? Why do you not have breakfast?"
Well, I didn't want to trouble her. It was embarrassing for a grown man like me not to be able to get up in the morning.
"Just a little while longer, Mama." It was a concise answer.
Mom came closer and stroked my head. "Don't forget to wash your face first, okay?"
"Yes, Ma."
It took about fifteen minutes for me to get up from my throne. Afterwards, I washed my face and sat down at the dining table.
Farida joined me for breakfast. She was enjoying it while reading the stack of documents next to her. I didn't want to interrupt her and focused on my soup and bread.
I enjoyed a cup of warm water to complete my breakfast.
"A calm morning," I said as steam came out from my mouth.
Farida glanced at me for a moment. "That's right. But don't forget your assignment, Damna."
Ack! I didn't want to remember this. Since Rosch started sword training, I've had trouble managing my time with this body. My eyes were getting sleepy and the tasks were piling up. This was completely out of character for me.
"Yes, Ms Farida." My lethargic reply.
Three weeks passed. Finally, I hit my one-year milestone. As a celebration, I managed to master Mana Coating. Ms Farida also gave me a perfect score for that.
With this, I officially resumed the magic lessons that had been delayed.
***
I mastered Intermediate class magic after three months. Fire Blast, Water Splash, Stone Cannon, and Wind Blow. Including controlling the density of mana used, target distance, and speed.
And today, Ms Farida was going to explain Silent Incantation. She used a blackboard placed in front of the dining table. She stood at the front and started writing down the material.
First, Voiceless Incantation. This type was no different from a usual incantation. However, you did not need to say the sentences out loud. You recited the incantation in your mind, and then you called the magic name such as Healing, Fire Blast, and so on. This type focused on memorization.
Voiceless Incantation was also known as the Shortened Incantation. If a mage used a spell and only said the last part of the incantation, it was called a Shortened Incantation.
Second, Imaginary Incantation. This type of recitation was not spoken by mouth at all. How it was used depends on the Caster's ability to manipulate mana to obtain the desired form of magic or result. The condition was a strong imagination and an understanding of the stages of magic formation. This method required a long practice because it demanded the harmony of mind and body.
I tried this technique once, but it was so difficult to do. It takes five minutes to create a water ball. While the size was smaller than a normal Water Sphere. In a way, it was a waste of time.
Ms Farida circled the word "Imaginary Incantation" on the blackboard.
"Imaginary Incantation is a hard method," she said. "Even among people who possess Spiritual Eyes, it may not be possible. If it works, the result will be like what you did, Damna."
"Can't it be trained, ma'am?"
"Of course, you can. However, if you use Imaginary Incantation for a type of magic that already exists, then it's useless. Creating a type of fire magic like Fire Blast or Fire Vortex, then it's better to use Voiceless Incantation."
I see. Using recitation was much more concise than thinking about it in your head. Not to mention, if it was used in a battle, then it would be difficult. You didn't have time to think about your spell when your life was in danger.
Ms Farida approached me and picked up the folded paper between her books. "Damna, try to imagine creating ice magic."
"There are no sentences to recite?"
Bu Farida nodded. "All you need to imagine is, creating a ball of water and then taking the heat."
I was confused. Yet, it was worth a try.
I flowed mana into my palm. I converted mana into water particles while absorbing different water particles from the air, fusing them into a point between my palms. In about two minutes, a fist-sized water ball was formed.
"Absorb the heat, Damna," Farida said.
Absorb the heat. Take the heat. Absorb the heat.
"I can't," I said, after three minutes of trying.
"You need to be able to feel both things. Imagine that you are separating two types of grains in one container,"
Separating two grains...separating two things in one container. Water and heat. One hand focuses on keeping the water, and the other hand on drawing heat from it.
Cooling... Freezing ...Could it be like how a freezer works?
Ah! I can feel it. One holding, one pulling. This way? No, not like that. Ah, I see!
Along with the understanding I gained, a cold sensation went straight to my palms. The cold temperature forced me to open my eyes. Between my hands, an ice ball was floating.
The water ball froze.
I unconsciously jumped for joy. My teacher just smiled to see me acting like that.
"Now, try reciting this incantation, Damna." Then she handed me the folded paper.
I put the ice ball on the table. I grabbed the paper and recited its contents.
"O Creator of Ice! Let the water lose its flame, mold it to my desire here and now, Ice Sphere."
Instantly, an ice sphere was created. The process is much faster than doing it through imagination. Even the contents of this spell were more or less similar to the main mechanism for creating ice before. "Now I understand what you mean, Ms Farida."
Her eyes widened. "I'm amazed that you can understand, Damna. Though it's a special kind of magic that can only be done by certain races or mages from the Institute of Magic."
Suddenly my spine went cold. "You mean ... this is a secret magic?"
"Not the magic, but the method." Ms Farida smirked. "You can rest easy. I've gotten permission from them to teach it to you. You could say this is payment for the research you helped me with earlier, Damna."
"Thank goodness."
"However, never teach this to anyone else. If they ask, just refer to it as the magic you were born with."
Oh, this was indeed a secret.
***
Another three months passed.
Besides my magic ability, my swordsmanship had also improved a lot. It was because my body had started to be able to follow the instructions from my head. The sword training with Rosch also felt lighter thanks to it. However, defeating Rosch was still not enough. If I had to guess, I'd probably have to wait until I was eighteen years old before I could match him.
I only had two subjects left on my schedule this year. Magic and Swordsmanship. The rest was just a matter of maximizing my understanding and memorization. That's why Farida was sitting in front of me and asking me various questions.
"Who are Elves?"
"The inhabitants of the Great Forest. They have pointed ears and are long-lived."
"The three highest classes in the power rankings?" She asked again.
"Emperor, Supreme and the top one, Divine."
"Where and what is the name of the tree with the widest trunk on the continent?"
"The Chermanic tree that stretches for 6562 cubits next to the Hells Gate."
"Last question," Farida closed her book. "Why does your father rarely come home?"
I fell silent. I knew the answer but was reluctant to speak.
"At the very least, thank him. A few kind words won't shorten your life."
I nodded and couldn't argue.
Somehow, Farida had gotten the wrong impression about my relationship with Rosch. Perhaps Rosch had confided in Farida the night before? This was the only explanation I could think of.
I had no animosity toward Rosch. It was just that there was a reluctance to acknowledge this man. I couldn't explain why.
"Damna!" called Mom. Her voice came from the backyard.
"Yes, Ma! Damna will be there soon!"
"It's time for you to do some work. Please go. Remember, don't push yourself. Your body is already tired from the training." Farida waved her hand and flashed a smile.
I returned her smile and got up from the chair. "Okay! Allow me to go first, Ms Farida."
There was a basket in the corner of the kitchen. It was the tool that I would use to help mom work. I quickly grabbed it and ran to the back of the house. Mom was standing there with her basket. She glanced over when she heard my step.
"Long wait?" I asked.
"No, sweetheart."
Mom squatted down to tidy up my hair and clothes, and check every corner of my body. Then she smiled and grasped my hand tightly. "Let's go."
I nodded and followed her.
We went to a forest not far from the village. To look for firewood and some fruits. It could be said that this was my first job. Being able to help mom made me happy. I wouldn't let her hand fetch firewood, but she was faster than me. Mom was too good at finding where the firewood was hiding despite the many leaves covering the ground.
Urgh! It was quite annoying to lose in this regard. However, when it came to fruit picking, I was the champ. Special thanks to Aila for teaching me how to climb. My victory in this regard was cringe-worthy and embarrassing, but as long as mom was smiling, I didn't mind it.
Kyaak!
An animal scream broke the silence of the forest. I heard it over and over again. The scream became clearer as I walked toward the source of the sound.
Under the shade of a tree, there was a rabbit with an injured leg. It looked like it was in pain. Also, the fur on the back became red.
"Damna, what did you find... a rabbit?"
Mom, who arrived beside me, immediately put down her basket. She walked over to the rabbit and untied the noose.
Could it be that mom thought the same? Not only fruits, but tonight we could eat delicious rabbit.
"Damna, can you treat this rabbit?" Mom showed me the rabbit she was holding.
Huh?
"Why should it be treated, Mama?"
Mom didn't answer my question. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two young bunnies hiding in a hole.
"We're not going to eat the rabbit, Mama?"
"No, sweetheart. We're not eating meat tonight, do you remember?"
Ah, I did. Tonight's schedule did have no meat.
Unfortunately, I still didn't understand. Not that I meant to defy mom. However, this was a strange experience for me. Wasn't rabbit one of the food sources in this area?
Although there were still various questions, I chanted the healing spell and the rabbit recovered. Mom gently placed it close to its child.
"Be careful," Mom said to the mother rabbit. Then, we left them.
After that, I was still thinking about the reason behind mom's actions. Could this be what is called compassion for other creatures? Did she want to show it to me? Or did she want to teach me about food discipline and not being greedy?
To be honest, I was confused. In my previous life, this kind of thing had never crossed my mind.
All harmless animals are human food sources. It was our role as the highest predator in the food chain. As it turns out, my understanding was wrong. Life as a normal human cannot be defined that simply.
Humans were complex, I guessed.
After an hour, our basket was full. I had many fruits and firewood. Hence, the basket became heavy. Let alone offering help to my mom, I struggled to balance my steps while carrying the basket. After an adjustment here and there, we were finally ready to come back.
It was a beautiful afternoon. The twilight shone on mom's smiling face. Not only was I able to help her work, but I also learned a valuable lesson.
This happiness made me forget about the wound on the rabbit's back. It was a deep wound that almost pierced its stomach. Like a bite mark from a long-fanged animal. |
It had been a week since I was able to use magic. Somehow, every time I used it my muscles limped. I felt like running a marathon in the desert without drinking water.
I had a question in my head when facing this problem. If this healing magic could be used to heal wounds, what about stamina?
After many attempts, I concluded; it was impossible. It seemed that fatigue was unable to be restored with this spell. Could there be a specific incantation? I didn't know. Yet, I should not hope too much for it.
"Damna!" Aila shouted while knocking on the door. "Hurry up!"
I was here. Currently in the inside of an old-fashioned toilet and looking for inspiration. This place was supposed to be the most comfortable zone after my room, but ever since Aila came, everything had changed. My special time in the morning started to narrow down.
I came out after cleaning myself and the toilet. I moved to the side and Aila quickly walked in and locked the door.
I took a deep breath. The amazing smell infiltrated my nose and brought regret to my mind. I moved my legs to carry my body away and went outside to change the air.
"Finally... there's nothing more refreshing than the morning breeze."
I sat in front of the door and enjoyed the same scenery every day. Farmers busy in the fields, a few merchants coming their way, and children running around without worrying about their future.
This morning, Rosch was not working in the fields like usual. He left because the bearded man came to see him last night. I didn't hear a word because he whispered directly into Rosch's ear. And then, my mother's husband immediately put on a cloak and armed himself.
I believed something urgent came up and they needed more people.
After that, Rosch kissed both of us on the forehead and he left with a bearded man who was dressed eccentrically.
Talking about the bearded man, his outfit looked like a clown in a circus. Yet, I was sure he wasn't one of them. I wanted to pull his beard and draw a masterpiece in it. Okay, stop with my wild imagination. I should enjoy the morning breeze with a positive mind.
So peaceful today. Mom was busy washing clothes and cleaning the bed. Meanwhile, I was still waiting for Aila to come out of the toilet so she could teach me more about magic.
"Have you been waiting long?" said Aila.
I turned my head and looked at her. "No, Aila. So, where do we practice?"
She pointed to one of the nearest big trees we could reach. She took off running and I quickly followed.
I heard mom yelling from the doorway. She said that we shouldn't play too far away. I answered her with a "yes" while waving my hands.
Running with this three-year-old body made me unable to catch up with Aila. There was always a big gap between us. My bones and muscles weren't strong enough to handle the activities of a five-year-old kid.
When we got there, Aila sat against a tree and told me to sit in front of her. She plucked some grass and held it above her lips like a mustache. I could hear her grin, she seemed pleased.
"Listen, my student!" she said, imitating how a grandfather would speak. "I will give you an example."
Aila stretched out her hand and began to recite the incantation. "O Creator of the Aqua! Let the water nourish my desire here and now, Water Sphere!"
A water sphere the size of her hand was suddenly created on top of her palm. Next, Aila faced the wheat field. Her eyes aimed at something and then placed the controlled water sphere forward. "Water Splash!"
When the incantation finished, the water ball flew fast and hit the scarecrow. Her target was drenched.
Amazing! Being able to create something directly from life energy into a physical object completely defied logic in my old world. Yet, this illogical was something I had to learn.
Urgh! It was so hard to hold my squeal! I shouldn't act like a child!
"How was it, Damna? I did great, right?" Aila showed her face and struck a victory pose.
"You're amazing, Aila!"
I clapped for her great demonstration. She laughed and didn't realize that her fake mustache had fallen off after hopping up in excitement.
"Teach me some other magic too!"
"Sure!" She picked up some more grass and made it into a new mustache. "I'll teach you! Huhuhu!"
Aila told me the other three spells. One after another was shown and I began to memorize the incantations. It seemed that the incantation of magic wasn't as complicated as I had imagined. They all had a similar pattern.
The pattern was consistent with three main elements: Pleading, Desiring, and Invocation. First we had to plead with the divine being or nature to lend us power, then described the wish in poetic language, and invoked it with a certain name.
These spells could also be combined or shortened. I had come up with that hypothesis ever since Aila was able to turn [Water Sphere] into [Water Splash] without any additional incantation.
However, I still didn't understand the main mechanism. Aila didn't know about it either. I wished this world had a magic research institute so I could learn directly from them.
Although I failed to use the magic Aila had just shown me, it never discouraged me like before. I knew that I wasn't as talented as Aila, but I could do well if I started now.
Before I knew it, the sun was overhead.
We rushed home to fill our hungry bellies. Mom had prepared the food and was soon feeding our mouths. When hunger had left, sleepiness came. Without asking for anyone's consent, Aila and I fell asleep in the same bed.
Since Aila came, we have been playing every day. Not a single day passed without it. The games we played were interesting, though sometimes wild. There were times when Aila would dig into the ground to find worms, she jumped into the ditch to get small fish, or even caught insects to eat them. In the end, Aila threw up and immediately regretted it.
Geez! She would do anything to please her curiosity. And after she was contained, she happily taught me magic.
Day after day passed with lots of laughter. Sometimes there were unpleasant things like her deliberately knocking on the toilet door while I was still using it. Or she would mix my lunch with weird insect legs. Yet, I still felt happy.
I never had any friends other than coworkers. Or perhaps, I didn't care enough about it. I assumed that "friends" would make my life difficult and annoying. As it turns out, that was all wrong.
For the first time, I wanted someone else to stay here.
Unfortunately, our time together didn't last long.
Three weeks after Aila stayed here, I heard noisy horse steps outside. Rosch went to see what was going on. As it turned out, it was them. Raul and his wife had come to pick her up.
Upon learning of their return, Aila quickly ran into her father's arms. The little girl cried and poured out all her longing. It was such a heartwarming sight. This scene made me feel grateful for my current life.
I had the desire to keep Aila here. But, when Aila cried while hugging her parents, I aborted my intention. She should be with her family.
Well, Mom was still here. Rosch too. I was not lonely. I won't be lonely.
When Aila stopped crying, our parents greeted each other and made small talk. Then, my parents invited them in and served them food and drink in the dining room.
I sat on mom's lap and Aila did the same. This jolly little girl looked so spoiled to her mother. I was a little jealous because as a grown man, I felt reluctant to be spoiled by my mom.
I did not lie. At that time I was still a baby! So it was different now!
Anyway, my mom's food was so tasty. Even Raul could not stop eating it. After enjoying the food and drinks, he looked at his wife and stroked Aila's hair. Then his attention returned to Rosch and my mother.
"Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Rosch, Sis Sonja." Raul extended his hand and Rosch immediately shook it.
"Are you going straight home?" my mother interrupted. "Not staying overnight? It's late in the evening."
Raul shook his head. "I'd like to. But my wife, Sara, and I have to go back to her homeland."
When Raul mentioned his wife's name, my gaze quickly fell on the woman wearing a white dress with gold trim. She had long braided hair covered by a scarf. I couldn't see her entire face because of the veil, but the look in her eyes was so soft and majestic. There were two gold rings on her ring finger. Could it be that she...
Rosch let out a long sigh. "It can't be helped. The Abbas Kingdom has an urgent matter after all."
Raul's expression suddenly became tense, then it changed into a laugh. "It seems that nothing can escape the North Dog's nose."
"You are praising me too much."
I just discovered that Rosch has a cool-looking nickname. Could it be that he got his nickname from hunting on the iceberg? Never mind. I didn't want to talk about it right now.
Sara, I meant, Mrs Sara. She lowered Aila from her lap and stood up. She took off her veil and revealed her beautiful face. Then she bowed slightly to my parents.
"I thank you for taking such good care of Aila," she said. "I'm sorry to trouble you. I can't give you much, but I hope this is enough to repay your kindness."
Mrs. Sara placed a small chest on the table. She pushed it gently until it reached us. The inside of the chest made Rosch's face stiff.
"This is... too much." Rosch pushed it back, but Raul stopped him.
"It's okay. Think of it as silent money."
"Ah... I see."
The situation became awkward. Aila and I could only exchange smiles at our parents' conversation. After that, their talk was merely pleasantries. Ten minutes later, we escorted Raul and his family outside.
What I saw in the yard was a luxurious horse-drawn coach decorated with silver. Besides the coachman, there were also six uniformed horsemen acting as bodyguards. This sight reinforced my suspicion that Aila's mother was royalty. Not just any royalty, Mrs. Sara seemed to be closely related to the Abbas Royal family.
My eyes turned to Aila who was about to get into the silver state coach.
"Aila, when are we going to play again?" I asked.
Aila smiled sweetly. "Soon! When I come back, we'll play and I'll teach you many things, Damna! Hihihi!"
I nodded, waved and returned her smile. "Keep your promise, Aila. See you next time!"
As Raul and his wife went inside and closed the door, Aila began to cry. Still, she tried to smile.
"See you soon, Damna!" she shouted.
I kept waving until I couldn't hear her anymore. The group left to chase the sunset. Leaving behind the dust that litters the air. Although it's faint, I still remember it clearly. Her words that evening were the last I heard. |
I burnt my three days learning about reading, writing, and arithmetic. Finally, it was time to practice magic! Yet, my doubt remained. Would it be okay for someone incapable of manipulating mana to teach about magic?
My first impression of her, particularly after that night, still lingered. It worsened after the last two nights. She stroked my hair and then wrote something on the paper in her lap. I woke up when it happened but pretended to be asleep so she wouldn't be startled. I considered her a weird woman. When it came to doing her job as a teacher, she was great. To be honest, she confused me.
It's not proper to judge something before being certain of it
, they said. Perhaps, that was true. Not to mention, my parents paid Farida ten Abbas silver coins per month.
Based on Farida's explanation during the arithmetic class, I asked her about her salary and what she could buy with it. I concluded that her salary was equivalent to 500 USD. Compared to the salaries of teachers in my previous life, Farida's was below average. However, in this world, that amount was considered expensive.
Based on that, I shouldn't judge Farida at this point. Despite my doubts, at the very least, I should put more trust in her. Moreover, Farida was not someone who would ruin her reputation with a falsehood.
"Ms Farida, what should I do?"
"Wait a moment, please," she said.
I stood in the backyard as Farida was getting ready. We used the backyard this morning after Rosch cleaned the snow piles. Even so, all I could see were the snow-covered white plains. Despite these thick clothes, I could still feel the cold air.
Farida approached me after putting odd gloves on her hands. She said, "All right. Now get ready."
"What is that, Ms Farida?"
"Oh, it's a device to absorb mana from the body and forcibly control it."
"So you can use magic because of this thing?" I deduced.
She smiled. "That's right. These gloves allow me to teach you the knowledge of magic, Damna."
For someone who could not use magic, she found a way to use it despite being cursed. Such a great dedication by a young woman like her.
Yesterday, I asked about her age, and Farida replied that she was 23 years old. Two years younger than Rosch and my mother. And ten years younger than me. At such a young age, she can be such a dedicated teacher. I admired her a lot.
"Damna, are you listening to me?" she called out.
"Sorry, ma'am. Can you repeat that one more time?"
Ah, how careless of me. I should be focused!
"That's fine. Okay, I'll explain it again."
Farida stood beside me and started explaining the basics.
"The power inside humans is called Mana. For a mage, Mana is the main source of magic. When Mana runs out inside a person, they can faint or at worst, die. Then..." Farida continued to explain the basic theory of mana, magic, and the concept of spells.
All of her explanations confirmed the hypothesis I had summarized. Although some were disproved.
She explained from the base level, Sphere Spell. "Sphere magic does look useless in battle and other fields because you cannot throw it from your palm. However, Sphere magic is the best way to understand mana manipulation."
I could only nod in awe. The explanation was concise. But, there was something I didn't understand.
"Ma'am, I don't quite understand what the safety distance means."
She immediately stood in front of me. "It's easier if we try it right away."
Without chanting a spell, Farida managed to summon the Fire Sphere in the palm of her left hand.
"Look at the distance between my palm and the Fire Sphere," she asked.
Farida lowered her hands, so I could observe it without having to get on my tiptoes. Her other hand pointed in the direction where I should pay attention. True enough, there was a distance that I had never realized before.
"It's a safe distance that our bodies create unconsciously. It's about three to five fingers long. However, if your mana manipulation ability is high, you can make it smaller like this." Instantly, the gap between the Fire Sphere and her palm shrank.
"Wow!" I was stunned.
"Don't get excited yet, Damna. It's still not finished," she said. "Take a good look at my hand once again."
The Fire Sphere continued to shrink its distance. And Farida's hand was showing something. Something like a membrane was enveloping her hand.
"That's the Mana Coating. A subconscious protection mechanism is used by every mage. When a mage casts attack magic, such as fire magic, the heat can damage the caster's palm. That's why our body secretes a protective layer. However, if the attack magic gets too strong, this layer will get thicker and the safety distance will grow on its own."
At the end of the explanation, the Fire Sphere in her palm suddenly accelerated its rotation. It was constantly spinning and emitting high heat. The Fire Sphere condensed and grew to the size of a car wheel. The safety distance between Farida's palm and the Fire Sphere also grew. I had to take a few steps back to avoid the heat.
Everything was going just like the theory she mentioned.
"How is it, Damna? Do you understand?"
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Her explanation was in line with my experience. However, I was still curious about her silent incantation. Could an ordinary person do it? Or did it require the help of a tool?
After Farida ended her Fire Sphere magic, she fell to the ground. I quickly approached and extended my hand.
"Are you okay, ma'am?"
"Thank you. I'm fine. It's a common thing." She stood up and brushed the snow off her dress.
I could see her face sweating in the middle of winter. She was pushing herself. Yet, she kept smiling.
"Now it's your turn, Damna. Try practicing what I have shown you."
I nodded and took a step forward.
I stood up, focused my mind, and maintained my composure. Okay. I began.
First, I chanted the Fire Sphere spell and made sure everything went smoothly. Then I flowed the mana from inside my body into the Fire Sphere. The Fire Sphere, which had been motionless, began slowly rotating.
I continued to flow mana until the Fire Sphere became denser, spun faster, and grew larger. At the same time, it rose and moved away from my palm. The fire sphere became big and bright. For my first attempt, this was quite impressive.
Okay. The next step was to end the magic.
...
"Huh?"
Normally, deactivating magic was an easy thing, like pressing the off button on the remote. Yet, this time my body did not respond. I tried numerous times, but nothing changed.
Calm down. I could try another way. I should be able to stop the mana flow.
...
What the hell? It didn't work either!
The Fire Sphere sucked my energy without stopping.
"Damna? Are you okay?"
"It's ... okay," I put on a fake smile so she wouldn't worry.
Damn! I shouldn't fail here! Not after witnessing her strong dedication to teaching.
The out-of-control Fire Sphere grew larger until it reached the size of an African elephant. My hands burned from the heat generated, which also melted the snow around me and pushed the cold away.
If it continued, I might faint and that would be dangerous. Despite my best efforts, I was still unable to stop the mana's flow.
Damn it!
"Damna, use Fire Blast!" she shouted suddenly.
Huh? Fire Blast? Why? I don't think–damn! I have no time! I'm gonna trust you, Farida!
I quickly aimed for the sky even though my hands were difficult to move. After checking the distance, I cast an incantation. "O Creator of the Flame! Let the blaze fly and scorch my target now, Fire Blast!"
The wild Fire Sphere flew like a rocket into the sky. After a brief period, it blasted, lighting up the yard like a massive firework show.
My breath caught in my throat. The air vapor coming out of my mouth condensed and blocked my eyes from seeing my surroundings.
It was close. I could have been burned alive if I hadn't followed Farida's command. I thought turning uncontrollable magic into another form was impossible.
The relief that came to my chest made my legs limp and dropped my butt to the ground. Farida immediately supported me and cast warm water magic to wet my body. Then she used magic to heal the burns on my hands and other spots.
"Sorry, Ms Farida. It seems I pushed myself too hard."
I thought she was going to scold me. However, a smile was carved on her beautiful face.
"You did well, Damna. Unfortunately, you have to learn Mana Coating first and restrain yourself."
I blushed with embarrassment. It was the kind of sentence I liked. A gentle piece of encouragement.
Short, a flick of a finger landed on my forehead.
"Huh?"
"If you get into trouble, don't hesitate to seek help. That's the first rule of living in this world, Damna. Keep that in mind."
Her sharp gaze made me unable to do anything. I just nodded and felt sorry for myself.
Could it be that I became arrogant because I already had life experience from the previous world?
Realizing that, I put on a wry smile. I still had a lot to learn.
Then, I heard a loud sound from the direction of my house. They were Rosch and Mom, coming to check on me.
"What was that just now? Are you okay, sweetheart?" Mom immediately hugged me and checked every inch of my body.
"I'm fine, Mama. It was just a little awkward situation."
"Awkward? Is that true, Farida?" Mom asked, her intonation rising.
"I am sorry, Mrs Rosch." She bowed her head. "There was a little accident, but Damna resolved that matter in no time. Everything is fine now. But if you are angry with me, I'll gladly accept it."
Mom's expression was stern. And she looked at me. I shook my head and told her, "I am okay, Mama. Farida saved me! You should not fire her. Please..."
Mom's worried face slowly relaxed. She kissed me and finally showed her usual smile. "Thank goodness. I cannot win against my precious son. Okay, Farida. But don't let my sweetheart go beyond your control like this again. Do you understand?"
Farida bowed once again and threw her gloomy face away. " I understand. Thank you so much for giving me another chance, Mrs Rosch."
Rosch, who was by her side, breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Everything is good and we lose nothing."
Luckily, this first training session ended without any grave accidents. After the training, Farida gave me a task to summarize the training session. Sure, she told me to rest first.
With that, today's lesson was over.
***
A new morning had arrived, and we were in the backyard.
Today's lesson was learning to manipulate Mana Coating. In theory, I should be able to do it. Somehow, I failed.
Ms Farida looked confused. She asked me to stop for a moment. Then she instructed me to do it again. The same thing happened several times.
Afterwards, she told me to stop. Then her face looked even more confused. Her brows furrowed.
"Damna, since when did you learn Battle Aura?" she asked.
Huh? Battle Aura? Didn't I try Mana Coating?
"What does that mean, ma'am?"
Ms Farida stroked her chin. "It's also the first time I know that there's a mage capable of doing Battle Aura as fast as you."
I didn't know if she complimented me, but it was enough to boggle my mind.
"What is Battle Aura?" I wasn't familiar with this new term.
"Just like Mana Coating is used to protect the caster, Battle Aura is more focused on coating the entire body while strengthening it."
To be honest, I still didn't understand. How could I possibly do that if all my attention was on my palm?
"Try doing it again. This time grasp this wooden branch and try to squeeze it." Ms Farida picked up a piece of wood from the snow and handed it to me.
I followed her instructions. After the conditions were met, I immediately squeezed the wooden branch. For a logical reason, there was no way I could crush it. It was a 3-centimeter diameter branch that Rosch had cut from a tree. It should be solid.
Crack!
The result slapped my face on the right spot. The wooden branch crumbled. After I squeezed harder, the object in my hand no longer looked like a wooden stick.
"Just as I thought." She took off her special gloves. "We'll postpone the magic lesson until you can use Mana Coating, Damna."
"Eh? Why?"
"If you don't want the same thing to happen, we better focus on the basics. Let alone using Intermediate class magic, even basic magic can hurt you."
When Ms Farida mentioned it, my hands trembled. I could feel the burning sensation for no reason. Yesterday's incident was odd. I had never lost control of my magic before. What exactly happened?
I had no lead which left me with one option. I should trust Farida.
I still had a long way to go. Unlike Aila, I didn't treat myself as special from the beginning. Although that incident made me a little big-headed and thought I might be a little unique. It was a wrong assumption after all.
I sighed. "What's the cause, Ms Farida?"
Ms Farida didn't answer. Instead, she invited me to go inside.
In the house, we sat close together in front of the table. Ms Farida explained about Mana Coating and Battle Aura, also known as Battle Coating.
Mana Coating only coats the part of the body that was used to collect Mana while Battle Aura was not. Battle Aura focused more on strengthening the physical body as a whole. Usually, it was done instinctively.
As a general rule, a mage did not have good Battle Coating if he had a high level of Mana Coating. Because of that, doing both at the same time was difficult. Or nigh impossible. Until now, Ms Farida explained, only those in the Emperor Class had ever been capable of doing it.
"And what surprises me even more, how can you do it when you were born on New Year's Eve?"
New Year's Eve was mentioned again. I wanted to continue talking about Mana Coating. But, this might be the right time to ask in detail about the curse.
"Ms Farida, what's wrong with being born on New Year's Eve? I still don't understand why being born at a certain time can cause excessive fear. Even to the point of calling those born at that moment cursed children."
The first time I heard it, I wanted to know the truth. There was no way a person was labeled as a cursed child based on the day they took their first breath. It was absurd.
Sure, this was very different when I was on earth. At that time, I was indeed a cursed child. Unable to feel empathy, I had problems forming relationships with others.
However, everything was different this time. I could feel all those emotions. I didn't want my parents to continue feeling guilty because they gave birth to me on New Year's Eve.
"Unexpected. I cannot believe you have an interest in that matter." Ms Farida looked at me. "It seems I don't need to ask your reason."
I didn't feel wrong for putting a heavy tone on my face. For me, this was important.
Ms Farida cleared her throat. "I will explain it from the beginning. Slowly so you don't miss anything."
She told me a long narrative. Starting from how and where the cursed appellation came about, to how the people of the Main and Southern Continents responded to it.
From her explanation, I gained new insights.
First, the title of a cursed child had been around for 400 years. Right after the Continental War ended.
Second, cursed children would usually have certain disabilities. Either physically or mentally. As my parents feared in the past. They worried that I would be born mute. The disabilities that appear most often in the historical records of the Abbas Kingdom were dumbness, deafness, and the inability to manipulate mana.
The interesting point was the third one. Ms Farida said, although cursed children were born with disabilities, all those born would gain the same ability. That ability was called Spiritual Eyes. The cursed child's eyes had the ability to see a person's aura or mana flow coming out of their body.
Wait a second.
"So Ms Farida asked me to observe your palm during Fire Sphere practice yesterday. Was it to confirm whether I am a cursed child or not?"
Her face looked surprised when she heard that. Could it be that she didn't expect me to be able to guess it?
My question created a mesmerizing silence. Until the crackling of burning wood filled the room.
"...You're right. I'm sorry if I've been disrespectful to you." The bespectacled woman bowed her head slightly. It was a formal act of apologizing.
...
"Did you do it to help the other cursed children?"
After hearing my last question, she raised her head and the eyes behind the glasses fell on me. Her brown eyes were wide and unblinking.
There was seriousness, kindness, and determination on her face. I could see it from the look in her eyes, the trembling lips, and the tightly clenched fingers.
Her hidden intentions were so beautiful that I couldn't help but feel happy. At this moment, in the middle of the holy winter, this woman seemed to glitter in my eyes.
"No need to apologize, Ms Farida. I should be the one thanking you. Although I can't do anything, Now I can take part in helping them through your research."
Tears fell from her eyes. Yet, she offered me a warm smile, just like the one my mother used to give me.
She wiped away the tears and said, "I guess I couldn't hide it from you, Damna."
I felt honored. I returned her smile and extended my hand. "Let me assist you, Ms Farida."
She hesitated at first, then welcomed my hand.
"Thank you."
Somehow, the empty space in my chest began to fill up again. |
Today, I was two and a half years old.
In this span of time, I learned to stand and walk. Then I climbed onto a chair, climbed onto a table and then sat and smiled by myself. It was a routine that I did every day to exercise my body muscles.
Besides, I also observed my mom's activities at home. She started washing dishes, then cleaned the house, tidied the bed and changed my diapers. It might seem boring, but it felt so peaceful.
Mom would often peek in whenever I made a sound in my room. She then came and stroked my head, and also asked if I was hungry and so on. Her attention made me calm.
In a way, I wanted to ease her burden. Whenever I offered to help, Mom smiled and kissed my cheek. "When you grow up, I'll let you, sweetheart."
Ah, I wanted to grow up fast. But, the only thing I could do was stand by her side while she cooked. Despite being nagged, I insisted.
When mom was resting, I took the initiative to massage her feet. Mom laughed, then commented that my massage felt good to her.
I knew it was just sweet words to cheer me up.
For some reason, I kept thinking about my mother who had passed away. It felt like I wanted to repay my current mom's kindness so I wouldn't regret it the second time.
"Patience, my sweetheart." Mom kissed my forehead. "There must be a time."
Again, my chest filled with a warmth that I could not explain. Her words instantly obliterated the anxiety that had arisen from the narrow corners of my mind.
Was this the happiness that everyone had been feeling? I felt every cell in my body satisfied.
It was a different feeling. Despite many achievements I had made in the past, that happiness felt empty compared to this one.
Every day since I was reborn, this exhilarating feeling kept growing and growing. To the point that I felt nothing but things that made me smile all the time.
My mom was right. I didn't need to rush. When the time came, I would do my best for them.
A week later, in the morning, my mother took me outside. For the first time, I passed by a field of wheat that was ready to be harvested. I tried to stay calm as she carried me.
What I saw was so intriguing. I unconsciously screamed like a child who had discovered something exciting.
Mom explained every object or thing I pointed at. A flying animal that looked like a dragonfly, a horse that was bigger than an adult, and farmers working in the fields. Mom said their names and I tried to remember them.
When we arrived at the destination, I saw many adults queuing up with their children. Some of their children were carried like me. Other children were standing next to their parents.
The ages of the children here were quite diverse. I could see it from their different body sizes.
I wondered why my mother had brought me here. I got the answer after we had been queuing for a while.
I saw an old hut and we went in. The old man wearing a monocle sat waiting across the table. He invited mom to sit on the chair in front of him.
Then the old man touched my face as he pleased. I brushed away his wild hands, but mom looked at me instead.
"Take it easy, Damna. The apothecary is checking your condition."
Mom, who was smiling brightly, forced me to be quiet and obey. Yet, the old man's fingers emitted a pungent bitter scent. I wanted to resist, but I couldn't go against mom's words.
After he finished staining my sweet face, he smiled at my mother.
"Your son is healthy. Even though he was born on New Year's Eve, there are no signs of curses appearing on his body. This is something rare. It's a godsend."
Mom held me close, she sobbed for a moment. "Thank goodness," she said.
There was a silence that was broken. The doctor just smiled and I didn't understand why.
After regaining her composure, she said, "Thank you so much, Sir."
"No need to thank me. I'm happy to help the people in my mother's hometown. Oh yes, don't forget to give him this remedy." The doctor handed over a bowl filled with a blackish liquid. "To increase his resistance if the curse comes one day."
Mom took a bag of coins from her pocket. "How much is it?"
"Ah! Looks like it's your first time." The old man laughed. "No need to pay. I did it willingly."
Mom looked embarrassed because it was true that she was meeting this old man for the first time. But what concerned me was why this so-called curse seemed so real. Didn't superstition get debunked in this day and age?
My baby brain struggled to find a reasonable explanation for this. Even if I managed to find one, it was useless information.
We came out of the hut and found a place to sit. Mom put me down along with a few other children. Then she handed me a bowl filled with a black liquid and asked me to drink it.
"Ah, I forgot the water. Wait here for a while, sweetheart. Don't go anywhere."
"Okay."
She went to ask the other adults for water. But was the medicine given by the apothecary really that bitter?
I sniffed the black bowl and found no suspicious odor.
Without wasting any time, I drank it. After swallowing it in two gulps, my tongue automatically came out in response to the unexpected bitter taste.
Wasn't medicine for children supposed to be sweet? This village was too outdated!
Then my glance was stolen by the other children who were fixing their eyes on me with astonishment. They also had their tongues out as if they had taken medicine. Even though their medicine was still in hand.
Did I do something cool somehow? Ah, I understood. For small children, medicine like this was impossible to take without water or something sweet.
"Cool," said the little black-haired girl.
I didn't know how to respond, but it felt wrong to ignore her. So I just said, "Really?"
The other kids looked at each other and then all smiled at me.
"Cool!" They said in unison.
It was strange, but it felt quite nice to be praised by children.
Oh, yeah, this was my first time talking to a kid around my age. Although they were still stammering, I could understand what they were saying. I felt embarrassed trying to get along with them while I was a grown man inside.
"Hey! How did you do that?" A loud voice immediately distracted me. "Can you teach me somehow?"
In front of me, there was a blonde-haired boy with a sweet face. He was taller than me. Probably a five-year-old kid. But, what made me unable to take my eyes off him was the emerald green color of his eyes. They sparkled as if there were jewels inside.
"Hey! Hey! Can you hear me?" This child gently shook my shoulder.
And I came to my senses.
"Eh? What?" I asked.
His face pouted for a moment, then smiled. "Your trick. How did you take the remedy?"
Hmm... How should I explain it? If I said I swallowed it without thinking, would she accept it? Besides, my speech was still slurred, maybe I should show her how.
So I demonstrated how to drink it. My fingers held the empty bowl back, then put it to the edge of my lips and poured it in. It was as if some liquid was coming in and I pretended to swallow it until my throat made a sound.
He watched closely and his face began to show signs that he understood. Of course, that was just my assumption. I hoped he really understood.
He sat down right next to me. There was doubt in his eyes as he looked at the black liquid in the bowl. When he turned his head and our eyes met, he smiled and I smiled back. He gathered his courage and took a deep breath before drinking it.
In three gulps, he managed to swallow it. Without water. After putting down the bowl, he struck a victory pose as if he had won a game. But the look on his face was suddenly ugly. He covered his mouth and his legs trembled.
Ah, it looked like he was going to throw up soon.
One of the adults rushed over and offered him a cup of water. "Drink slowly, Aila."
Aila grabbed the cup and drank the water. The adult stroked the back of his head while waiting for him to finish drinking.
Aila let out a long breath. The relief shown on his face made me smile. And once again, he looked at me while striking a victory pose.
"I didn't expect you to be able to swallow the medicine without water, Aila. My daughter is so awesome!"
Huh? A daughter? I thought she was a boy because of her short hair.
The blonde girl, Aila, blushed when her father praised her. Her reaction was adorable. I chuckled and then joined in on the praise. "Aila, great."
When she heard my words, she smiled widely and pulled her father closer. She wanted to introduce me, then realized that she still didn't know my name.
She came closer and then whispered, "What's your name?"
"Damna," I replied.
She smiled and then returned to stand near her father.
"Father, Damna was teaching me to take my remedy."
The man smiled and his big hand immediately stroked my head. "You're doing great, Damna. Oh, where are your parents?"
Well, speaking of the devil, my mom came running and said, "Damna, are you okay?"
Before I could answer, my mom and Aila's dad stared at each other and froze for a moment.
"Eh? Sis Sonja?"
"Huh? Raul? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me, Raul," he laughed, "you're growing into a wonderful woman, Big Sis."
Suddenly, my mom threw a fist at Raul's stomach for no reason. It took me and Aila by surprise. Yet, Raul managed to block my mom's fist.
Mom smiled, then stood on tiptoe and patted the shoulder of the man who was much taller than her. "You're becoming a great man now!"
The man blushed. A perfectly reasonable action for him. But not with my mom. Throwing punches at people you hadn't seen in a long time didn't make sense to me.
Mom seemed too excited. This would be a long conversation. However, she looked around and finally asked Raul to talk somewhere else. She was worried about disturbing the peace of the people queuing for treatment.
As my mother was about to pick me up, I refused. "I want to walk."
Mom looked a little surprised but granted my request anyway. She took my hand and guided me to walk next to her.
In short, we left the place together with Raul and his daughter.
I tried to adjust my steps to the rough surface. Thankfully, my shoes were made of leather that was quite thick at the base. Slowly but surely, I could walk at their pace. Although I knew they were intentionally slowing down.
It was a coincidence that our house and Aila's house were still on the same path, and would be separated after crossing the bridge. I heard it from Aila's father. Along the way, they kept talking to each other.
Long story short, my mom and Raul were schoolmates. Raul regarded my mom as a strong sister. Mom often protected him from bad kids. Then they were separated because of Raul's parents' jobs. Well, this happened a lot.
I wanted to ask them. Why didn't they use the internet or telephone to communicate with each other? But then I realized that there were no electricity poles in this village.
I let out a long sigh. My life would be full of hardships. I was born in a place far from the progress of civilization.
"Are you okay, Damna?" Aila, who was beside me, asked.
"Yes. I'm fine."
As I looked at Aila, my foot slipped and my knee landed on a sharp rock. My skin tore and blood flowed out.
My mother panicked, but Aila's father asked his daughter to help me.
In my daze of astonishment, I didn't understand what he meant. It was an adult's job to help an injured child, right?
Yet, Aila became excited for no reason. She asked me to sit down and straighten my legs. She placed her right hand near the wound and then said something.
It was a long, poetic-sounding sentence.
"A prayer to the Lord of the universe, the Owner of the majesty, and the Restorer of life. Let me use your blessings to recover strength and life, Healing!"
That was impressive for a five-year-old to be able to say those things without stuttering. Anyway, it was time to ask these adults to provide some actual help.
As I thought of that, Aila's hand shone with a faint light. The pain in my knee instantly disappeared without a trace. My eyes, which had been observing what was going on, continued to stare.
What was that? Nanotechnology with voice commands? I didn't think this was possible!
To confirm whether I was dreaming, I smacked my cheeks hard until they turned red.
"What are you doing, Damna?" Mom immediately restrained my hand. "Aila, please heal Damna's cheeks."
Aila smiled at my mom's request. She placed her hand on my cheek and said the same thing.
The same word.
The same phrase.
The same beautiful recitation.
Once again, a light from nowhere appeared on Aila's hand and the heat on my cheeks disappeared.
I was speechless. It surprised me too much.
In a village without electricity, internet, and advanced machinery, there was no way such technology existed.
There was only one plausible explanation. I was reborn in an era like medieval Europe, but not on Earth. I was in a different world. In a different universe.
Superstition, reincarnation, and magic. Everything finally made sense.
Shortly, my tears fell and formed a river that swept away my hidden wish.
Mother. I won't be able to visit your grave... ever.
I didn't remember what happened afterwards. When my eyes opened, I was on my mom's back.
"Mama?"
"Are you awake, sweetheart?"
"Yes. Sorry, I gave you trouble."
Mom laughed. "I panicked so much. I thought it was because of the remedy you took without water."
"O-of course not, Mama," I denied.
"So is it true that you were shocked because you saw magic for the first time? It was Mr Raul who said that."
"...Yes."
My mom laughed again. "I've never seen anyone faint when they see magic. You are so adorable, Damna."
Although not entirely true, what happened was still the same. An overwhelming feeling took over my consciousness.
I hoped mom could forget about this incident as soon as possible. I was afraid this would be told to the neighbors and linger as a laughingstock in the village.
"Ah, welcome home." The voice came from Rosch. He was standing in front of the house while carrying something behind his back.
Something? No. It was an animal similar to a grizzly bear. And he seemed to be carrying it with ease.
When Rosch turned to me, my instinct immediately forced me to hide behind mom's back.
"Hehe, don't tell me you're afraid of this bear, Damna?" He laughed loudly.
I wouldn't be surprised if in this world there was a man like Rosch able to carry a bear-like creature on his back and still be able to joke around.
Seriously, how could he joke around with his face covered in blood? |
"Fight me!" he screamed at me while it looked like he could collapse from exhaustion at any moment. He was standing in the doorway of the dormitory pointing a wooden sword towards me. "Maybe you should rest first. You look exhausted" I said. "I don't need any rest! I'm the strongest person that exists!" he screamed and in a swift motion he ran towards me. However when he came close to me it felt like time slowed down and my body moved on its own. I dodged the attack and time went back to normal.
"
What happened? I know my power lets me dodge attacks automatically but why did time slow down? Was it even my power that did that?
" I thought for myself. Then he had run past me, he stopped quickly and said "I only lost because I wasn't at full strength" and then he fell unconscious and his sword disappeared into nothing. That was how I met my roommate Kenshi for the first time.
However because of what happened with his sword I was pretty sure that his superpower let him summon wooden swords. "
I guess his power is an equipment type then
" I thought and it took a few seconds for me to realize that I should check if he is okay. By that time, Eirian, who had been standing beside me the whole time, was already checking him. "Speed, can help me carry him to his bed?" asked Eirian while looking disappointed at Kenshi.
"Sure but is he okay?" I asked. "Well, he just needs some rest. It is common for him to train until he hits his limit" answered Eirian. "Okay but do you know why he trains so hard? That much training can't be healthy" I asked as I lifted Kenshi up from the floor. "I don't know but I have heard he used to live in Satofuru" she replied but after a short pause she continued talking "Sorry, you got amnesia so you might not know what happened to Satofuru". "I have heard what happened. The whole town got destroyed by a really strong demon" I answered.
"That's right. So I think he is training to be able to get revenge but you have to ask him yourself if you want to know the true reason. However when I asked him, he got angry and just said he had to get stronger" said Eiran. "Okay, I probably won't ask him because it sounds like he won't answer" I replied as we had finally gotten to our room and laid him on his bed. "Anyways, how about we make some lunch? I'm starting to get hungry and Kenshi would probably want some food when he wakes up" said Eirian.
"Sure, we can look at what we can make" I answered but as we were looking through the kitchen, we didn't find much food. Because of that we went to the store to buy some groceries first. The store was an ordinary small store but at the entrance sat a hobo against the wall. "Oh no, he's here" said Eirian. "Do you know him" I asked. "No but he is known for being a pervert that likes to do stuff such as looking under skirts. However, for some reason the police have never been able to catch him" she explained.
"Okay, I'll stop him if he tries something" I said. The hobo looked towards Eirian and as we walked past him he looked disappointed and then asked "Miss, could I see your panties". "No!" Eirian yelled however that didn't stop him. The hobo jumped so his head came between Eirian legs and looked up into her skit. His face looked to be filled with hope at first but it quickly turned into sorrow. Tears ran down his face and he sobs for himself "Come on, why are you not working".
Eirian hurried away from the hobo and then I jumped on him to hold him down and angrily asked him "What are you doing?". "You are just a kid so I won't tell you" he answered and then he started to try to stand up but I was able to hold him down until he started to transform. His skin turned into scales and he became a lot stronger. He escaped and ran away. "
Damn, he got away but I probably know now why the police have a problem catching him. His transformation makes him much stronger than a normal person
" I thought.
We reported the incident to the police and then we went into the store, bought our groceries and returned to the dormitory. Eirian made some lunch for us and Kenshi woke up just before the food was done. Kenshi looked still tired but he ate his food quickly and then went back to our room without saying anything. "Sorry but he just doesn't want to say he is tired I think" said Eirian.
We ate our lunches and then we heard a car stop outside the dormitory. The car was a police car and Keisatsu, a policeman that helped me a lot when I had lost my memories, walked out. "I have good news. We have finally found someone that recognized you" said Keisatsu. "Really?!" I asked excitedly."I will explain on the way so follow me" said Kensatsu. I went into the car and he started to drive out of town.
"The man that recognized you does originality comes from Satofuru, the neighboring town and used to have a candy store there. He said you used to come often to the store with what he assumed were your little sisters but the last time he saw you was about five years ago" said Keisatsu. "I have little sisters?" I asked. "I don't know. The man said that you didn't look like you were their brother but you seemed to be close like siblings so I personally think that they might have been your half or stepsister" said Keisatsu.
"But when was the last time the man saw my sisters?" asked Speed. "It was also at the same time but one thing the man said that didn't add up was that you looked to be in your mid-teens and your sisters looked to be around ten years old, five years ago. That means that you should be in your early twenties but the medical test you did a few months ago to see how old you were said that you were in your mid to late teens" said Keisatsu
"So there seems to be a few years difference between the age you are and the age he thought you were. I have not gotten time yet to investigate if what the man said is true but it might be possible that someone has used their power to make you younger but that's just a theory" said Keisatsu."Okay" I said as I tried to remember anything from the candy store but failed. After driving for a while I see the road to Satofuru is blocked by barriers at a crossing.
"Why is the road blocked?" asked Speed. "You don't know? I guess it is easier to explain when we get there" said Keisatsu. We drove to the left at the crossing and followed the road which slowly went upwards. "Before I explain, do you know what happened sixteen years ago?" asked Kensatsu. "Do you mean the Demon King's castle raid?" said Speed. "Yeah, when two thousand of the world's strongest people attacked and killed the Demon King but only twenty one survived. It's good that you know that. It makes it easier to explain what happened to Satofuru" said Keisatsu.
They stop the car at a graveyard which is on the highest point of the hill. "We have to walk a little bit to get around the forest" said Keisatsu. We had to travel only a few hundred meters but before we got around the forest, Keisatsu said "Around the corner, it used to be a popular view point of Satofuru but not anymore". Around the forest I saw a giant crater. "That used to be Satofuru" said Keisatsu, pointing to the crater.
"You know that they killed the Demon King but 5 years ago the then unknown child of the Demon King destroyed the whole town. It was probably because many of the survivors from the Demon King's castle raid used to live here but the child hasn't done anything since then" said Keisatsu. "So the Demon King's child destroyed my hometown" I said to myself. Because of what the child had done I thought I would feel hatred toward the child but I didn't.
I was unsure what I felt at first but then I realized what I felt, love. The more I tried to hate the Demon King's child, the more confused I got by the feeling of love and it got to the point that I started crying. At that moment I thought "
What's wrong with me? How can I feel love for the demon that destroyed my hometown and is it related to my past?
"
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
Mom came from Nizarkhas, a city on another continent. She said it was a place that kept many books from various lands. It also had many unknown tribes, cultures, and strange medications. Even with such things, Nizarkhas was abandoned due to extreme weather and powerful monsters.
Many cultures began to be lost and abandoned.
One of those cultures was a ritual from my mom's homeland. When a child reached the age of nine, they performed this ritual as a form of gratitude for the parents' hard work and love in raising their child. The activity was carried out at home and only attended by close relatives.
Frankly, Mom was hesitant. She didn't want me to be bound by traditions from a distant place. In this regard, I didn't mind. Strengthening my bond with my mom was something that could not be missed. Still, mom was hard to persuade.
Fortunately, Rosch supported my idea. With him around, persuading mom was a piece of cake. I meant, Rosch was great at it. Once mom agreed, we rehearsed for a week.
The long-awaited day arrived. I stood before them and was ready to begin. I was nervous. It was like the first time I presented my work in front of the company boss. This time, I was in front of my parents.
Breathing slowly was the only way to calm me down. It took some time, but it worked.
I stepped onto the carpet and was in front of Mom and Rosch. In the process of the ritual, they sat on chairs side by side. Both wore wooden sandals with the same pattern. A peculiar pattern.
As the subject of the ritual, I went to the kitchen to bring a basin of water. On the way back, I could not spill any drops and should not take any random steps. I had to walk at a slow pace with my head held high until I reached Rosch and Mom.
I folded my legs and sat down while moving the basin near their feet. I bowed slightly to them and spoke the opening sentence of a distant tradition.
"By the body that was born from the essence of the earth, I, Damna, come before you both. O Father and Mother, givers of goodness who fill my soul, allow me to sweep the grains of dust from your feet. As a proof of devotion, as a token of gratitude."
Rosch and Mother patted each of my shoulders gently. "We give you the honor, O my son."
As my parents' bodies leaned back again, I immediately began the next stage by washing both of their feet.
I started with Rosch. Gently, I lifted Rosch's feet with my right hand, then slid the basin directly underneath his feet. With caution, I removed his sandals and lowered his feet into the water. I cleaned his ankles, heels, and fingers. I repeated this step three times.
Afterwards, I lifted his feet, wiped them, and kissed them. Then I moved the basin and put on the wooden sandals before releasing his feet to the floor.
The first phase was complete. Next was Mom's turn.
I repeated the same thing. Washing her feet in the same way. Unlike Rosch, I solemnly kissed her feet. It took so long that Mom uttered my name, maybe she was worried. Realizing that, I quickly put the wooden sandals on her feet as before.
I lifted the basin and placed it outside the carpet. Then I sat down again in front of them, bowed, and said a heartfelt thank you. With that, the ritual was complete.
Mom flew up and hugged me close. "You are so great, dear. How did you manage to do it so perfectly?"
Rosch also came to crush me with his muscular body. "I'm touched! My son is amazing!" This man shed real tears.
Their excitement was uncontrollable. Compliment after compliment kept being showered on me. To be honest, I didn't understand why they felt so proud. This ritual was quite simple and even much easier than doing work in an office with a tight deadline. However, their bright faces were a worthy outcome. So I didn't mind.
The hustle and bustle in the house suddenly vanished when mom started crying.
Huh? Did something go wrong?
I was hesitant enough to ask so only the word "Mama" came out of my mouth. She suddenly tightened her embrace and landed a peck on my forehead.
Responding to my words, Mom shook her head and smiled. "I'm just feeling too happy, dear."
Before I could return Mom's sparkling smile, Rosch grabbed me forcefully. He held my body high in the air like a trophy.
"Look at Damna, the son of Rosch, he's going to be a great and influential man on this continent... no! In this world!" Rosch laughed loudly without a care in the world. "Isn't that right, Farida?"
Rosch's words made me realize that Farida was present as an observer. She also helped me with the entire preparation.
"That may be an exaggeration, Mr Rosch. But I'm sure Damna will become someone who will be influential in the Abbas Kingdom."
Her praise brought an innocent smile to my face. Wait, why did I blush so easily today? That was enough. If I kept it up, the child instinct inside me would start to take over the situation. Although, that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
In a happy moment, Rosch suddenly cleared his throat aloud. He gave me to mom and then adjusted his gesture. Once again, he cleared his throat.
"Today, we have important news!" he said, "Jeng! Jeng! Jeng! We have a new member in our family!"
...
Eh? Did that mean Farida became part of the family? Was Rosch that savage?
Rosch shook his head over and over again when he saw my expression.
Thank goodness. It wasn't. I would disown you as a father if that were the case, Rosch.
"Damna... you will have a sibling!"
"Huh?"
Sibling? Sibling? Wait. Wait a minute! Huh? I couldn't digest it well.
I never thought I would have someone share the same blood with me. From my experience, no one wants my existence. And then Rosch said I would have a sibling. It was the wildest assumption. I had no idea what to say.
"Huh? Damna, why are you crying?" Rosch was surprised, acted strangely, and then came to wipe my cheeks.
Hearing his response, I immediately noticed the tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Eh? Why am I crying?" I stammered.
Wasn't happiness usually welcomed by laughter and big smiles? And happy cheers? So, why were my tears falling?
Amid my useless questions, Mom kissed my forehead. "These tears are tears of joy, sweetheart. A reflection of your soul's beauty. Congratulations, Damna, you will become a big brother."
My mouth froze. Not a single word came out other than the whimper of a child that I couldn't control. This body was truly troublesome. However, I was glad about it.
***
Two weeks passed after the news of my mother's pregnancy. Almost every day, I was around her. While cooking in the kitchen, sweeping the house, and even waiting for her to come out of the bathroom.
Mom laughed at my madness. To the point where she said, "You're just like Rosch!"
"Eh? Is Rosch that caring about you, Mama?" The sentence slipped from my lips.
Mom laughed again. The vibrations in her voice washed away the guilt I had been feeling. Honestly, the sentence that escaped earlier was quite insolent from a child to their parents. I regretted it quite a lot. Even though I had promised Farida to treat Rosch well, somehow, I often failed.
"Of course, sweetheart. Unfortunately, he has a strange sense of humor." That sentence ended with a chuckle.
I laughed too. As it turned out, I wasn't the only one who thought Rosch had a strange sense of humor. It felt like I understood even more why blood ties were so special.
If only on Earth, I could treat my mother like this.
Enough, Damna. Regret won't bring anyone back from the dead. Right now, I needed to focus on making this little family happy. I was the son of Sonja and Rosch. Soon, I would become the big brother of my little sibling.
Mom stroked my head gently. "Sorry, dear. I can't carry you like I used to."
I folded my arms across my chest and smiled proudly. "What are you saying, Mama? A big brother shouldn't be spoiled, right?"
Mom's hand tried to block the laughter that was about to burst out of her mouth, but she failed. Her fingers quickly pinched my cheeks, perhaps as revenge for making too many jokes.
"Damna?" Farida appeared from behind. "We're going to start class."
"Hurry up and go, sweetheart. I can handle my work." She ruffled my hair.
I nodded, released a smile and left with my teacher.
Well, we didn't study inside the house today. Farida said it would be fun to go outdoors once in a while. Farida stopped at a big tree and we sat down under its shade.
"What are we going to learn today, ma'am?"
"We'll review everything you've learned."
" Yes, ma'am."
Another test. In the past few months, Farida has been doing this a lot. Could it be that I had learned all the material?
Farida asked from the simplest things. She started with basic magic, basic geography, and basic language. It was followed by heavy material such as the political conditions of the Abbas Kingdom, the Hell's Gate, and the reality of life as an adventurer.
Because Farida's class was so enjoyable, the day passed so fast. That was until my mom came to bring lunch for both of us.
"You guys... don't forget to rest."
Hearing Mom's voice finally broke Farida's focus. She checked the sunlight and the surroundings. Then she stood up and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Sonja. I got carried away."
Mom laughed at her stiff reaction. She patted her on the shoulder and said, "It feels like you two became very close, doesn't it?"
I gasped at Mom's words. I realized that it was true. Maybe because Farida had lived at home for so long, I wasn't awkward around her either.
"Hurry up and eat,"
"Huh? You're not eating with us, Mama?"
"I have to go to the village hall for a medical check-up, sweetheart."
"Do you want me to accompany you?"
"Your father is at home, let him act as an ideal husband once in a while."
I laughed at that. The ideal husband, huh?
Mom waved her hand, turned around and went back into the house. Meanwhile, Farida and I settled down to enjoy this delicious meal.
While eating, I recalled something.
"Sorry if I offended you, ma'am. Errm, I wanted to ask you something."
Farida wiped her lips and put down her bread. "Just ask. As long as it's not about classified information, then it's fine."
Classified information? Was there anything else apart from the recent magic method? Interesting. Wait a minute. I shouldn't be distracted by any subjects or sciences at the moment.
My question arose because I saw her manners and the way she communicated. Even when dining out like this, she looked elegant. If she claimed to be a noble, of course, I wouldn't be surprised.
"Are you a noble, Ms. Farida?"
Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened briefly then quickly turned into a chuckle.
"I see. However, what you have in mind is wrong, Damna. I am not a noble. I am the daughter of a servant in a royal family in the Southern Continent. After my mother passed away, I continued her work as a maid there. In addition to manners, working maids are required to be able to read, write and calculate. Perhaps because I lived in such a strict and disciplined household, I instinctively imitated the habits of the nobles there."
"Did you enjoy working there?"
Farida touched her lips. A faint "hmm" sounded.
"It was a little fun. Because while I was there, my employer often rewarded me with books for doing good jobs."
"Then how did you become a teacher? Didn't you explain in your class that maids generally can't change their lives easier? I'm quite confused."
"Honestly, I'm confused too," Farida chuckled. "If I think about it, maybe it's because I was proposed to by a nobleman-"
"Eh! A proposal?" I cut her off.
She put a hand in front of her lips to stifle her giggles. "That's right. A nobleman who was a coworker of my employer proposed to me. At first, I didn't understand what that meant. I thought he wanted to hire me. I spontaneously turned him down."
Laughter burst from my mouth. In an instant, I covered my mouth with my hand. "Sorry, ma'am. Hehehe."
Farida shook her head. "When I remember it, it was indeed a hilarious experience."
"Then how did it go?" Somehow, my enthusiasm grew.
"My employer scolded me. After a few days, I was sent to a women's school. There I learned many things. Preparing to become a bride took a lot of time and effort. Then I met a teacher and because of her, I discovered what I wanted to be."
"To become a teacher?"
"That's right." She smiled. "For the first time, I had a passion for myself. It's something I'll never forget."
"Passion, huh?" All this time, I never thought about it. I just wanted to live well, to be a dutiful son to mom and Rosch, nothing else. As long as I could live comfortably, there was nothing to worry about.
"Does Ms Farida think it's okay if I don't have any goals?"
"Don't you have any?"
I shook my head.
"Not a single one?"
"No, I don't. I've never thought of anything other than living here comfortably and having a job with a stable salary."
Farida laughed again, but her tone was mocking. "Look, you're just like an old man."
"Eh! I'm still a kid, ma'am!" My heart almost stopped. I thought she was making a deduction about my identity, but it turned out to be a joke.
"I mean, what you want is not wrong, Damna. It's something very logical. To live well and be with people we consider important. But are you sure that's all you want? With your brain capacity and curiosity, you should be able to become a bigger person."
Bigger?
"Become a giant, for example?"
Farida pinched my cheek. "I mean, be someone who has a big influence. Maybe not like your father wanted, but be someone you can be proud of. That's not a bad thing, right?"
Something to be proud of? Perhaps a civil servant or a prime minister? Could a village boy like me get a job like that in this world? The socio-political conditions in this country were unlike those on Earth. If you weren't royalty, the only way to get a chance was to make a name for yourself. Whether it was through adventure or research. Both ways were equally difficult.
I simply couldn't make up my mind right now.
"Ms Farida is amazing. You managed to survive such a life until you found your passion and forged your path. I admire you more than ever."
She replied to my compliment with a sweet smile. "Thank you. By the way, you don't have to be so formal with me, Damna."
Formal? What exactly did she mean?
"You don't need to add the honorific or 'ma'am' every time you say my name, Damna. At least outside of study periods."
I shook my head five times in three seconds. "No, no, no! I don't want to be impolite to you."
She looked at me, then ducked while hugging her legs. "I feel like you're easy to discuss with, exchange ideas with, deal with problems with, and help a lot with my research. It feels...like you're an adult. A friend of the same age."
Her words were like lightning striking the heart. For the second time, she mentioned me as an adult. This was dangerous. "N-No such a thing, Ms. Farida. I'm still a child."
"You may be a child, but your mindset is so admirable. I like that part of you, Damna."
My heart was racing. Sweat poured out due to my body temperature increasing for no reason. It was strange. It was something I'd never felt before.
"Damna? Are you okay?"
A gentle touch landed on my cheek, I recoiled spontaneously and replied in a stammer. "I-yeah, I'm fine."
"Sometimes, you can act like a child, huh."
Her lips curled upwards, her eyes guarded by glasses, her rosy cheeks, the strands of hair swaying in the wind, and her heart-stirring laughter. All of it blended to form such a beautiful image. I was speechless.
What sort of feeling was this?
After lunch, the class resumed. However, I couldn't concentrate at all until Farida reprimanded me several times. I was still thinking about the strange thing I had just felt. Even on the way home or in the bathroom. This scared the hell out of me.
At night, Farida suddenly asked me out. Something unexpected.
As long as I lived here, I had never gone out at night. Maybe because the darkness out there made it difficult for me to move around. Well, that was an excuse. To be honest, I was too lazy to do something that had nothing to do with my studies and my parents.
However, tonight was different. Farida and I were walking out of the house. There should be no problem. We were both capable of protecting ourselves. So I nodded and agreed. Somehow, I found it hard to look into her eyes.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"We're going to learn a bit of astrology."
Astrology? I didn't find it in her teaching syllabus. Could it be some free knowledge? If so, I would gladly accept it.
"We've arrived," she said.
We stopped in front of one of the trees at the end of the wheat field. About three hundred meters from the house. Farida sat there and then used white-fire magic to create light without any heat. She used it as a temporary lamp.
"Come here, Damna. Sit next to me."
I nodded. Although there was a worry that I could not express.
"Now lie down and close your eyes."
Eh? Lie down and close your eyes. Wasn't that a bit eerie?
No! I committed to trusting Farida. No hesitation!
I went over and sat next to her. Then I closed my eyes and lay down.
"I have extinguished the magic. Now open your eyes and look up," she said.
I slowly opened my eyelids. In an instant, amazement flooded my mind. Although I've seen outer space through satellite images, the sky portrait I witnessed tonight blew my mind.
The stars looked like jewels emitting vibrations of life. They formed lines like brush marks on a painting. Every second that passed, I saw comets raining down on the horizon. However, the most amazing thing was the two celestial bodies that formed like a pair of glasses in the night sky.
I pointed at them and wanted to ask.
"Those are the Two Moons, Damna. Also known as the Twin Moons."
Farida answered the curiosity I hadn't asked.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
I turned my head while releasing the excitement in my chest. "That's right! It's so amazing-"
My tongue froze as our eyes met. Perhaps a sense of wonder flashed through and overcame me at this moment. Yet, my eyes could not blink. I saw another sky residing in her eyes. So shimmering and magnificent.
Silence overtook us. Until a sudden pain caused me to wake up instantly. A tightness in my pants.
"Are you okay, Damna?"
"I-it's okay, ma'am-I mean, Farida. I just need to pee."
My words elicited a laugh from her. "Then hurry up. Because there will be a story about the Two Moons."
I nodded and quickly ran while lighting up fire magic. I opened my pants and squatted down. The pain I felt was the same as when I held back the urge to relieve myself. Yet, time had passed and no urine came out.
Looking at it, I was sure it was a sign of urination. But other than urination, was there any other sign that made my pole stand straight up?
...
Did I get horny?
***
The Two Moons, mostly known as the Twin Moons. They were celestial bodies that decorated the sky and acted as protective satellites. That's what I thought, but these twin moons had a different story from the moon orbiting the earth.
Farida said that all the monsters in the world came from the pale moon. They descended from there because there were no resources to survive. The great crisis caused madness and forced them to descend into the world to survive. Unfortunately, the world was very different from the place they came from. Unable to survive, their minds perished and they became monsters.
Then the bluish-colored moon, that's where the holy beings reside. A world filled with great mana and all-natural wealth. However, that place cannot be occupied by humans. If a human lived there, his body would deform into a different creature within seconds.
Farida explained that researchers at the Institute of Magic had repeatedly tried to explore the blue moon. They used 100 fire dragons to traverse the atmosphere, developed technology utilizing fire and wind magic, and even tried it from the highest peak in the world, Mount Acrius. It all ended in vain.
"They stopped the experiment fifty years ago," she said.
The story told by Farida provokes curiosity. Fascinating. I thought that with magic existence, humans in this world would give up on developing technology to explore outer space. As it turned out, my guess was wrong.
Alas, something went wrong. Despite Farida's earnest explanation, I couldn't take my eyes off her sparkling eyes. My attention crawled down to her glittering lips. It went down to her chin and neck and arrived at the two moons nestled beneath her clothes.
"Damna?" A pinch on the cheek brought me back to reality. "Are you listening?"
"S-sure! I'm listening, Farida. It would be a shame if their experiments were stopped. Maybe there's something extraordinary on the blue moon, right?"
Farida let out a long sigh and turned her face to the sky.
Eh? Did I wrong?
"Sorry."
Farida glanced at me and chuckled. "No need to apologize, I was just teasing you a little."
W-this woman...
"Do you need to relieve yourself again?"
"N-no, I'm not. Just a little nauseous. But it's okay."
My hand did stroke my stomach. But, it was a disguise. My control pole suddenly rebelled again. Even though I had given it a lesson, it was still defiant.
I needed a distraction. Something silly enough to distract my body from focusing on it.
What about the horned cat? No, it wasn't funny.
Bankrupt bird?
Moonwalking frog?
An honest political party?
Uh! What was I thinking?
Probably a gorilla picking its nose. Then it licked its nose and swallowed it.
Urgh! That was gross!
"Damna, if you're not feeling well, we should go back. We can continue another time."
I smiled and tried to hide my crisis. "Thank you, Farida. Yeah, I don't feel so good tonight. Sorry."
She nodded, "No worries."
We both got up and dusted off our clothes. I walked behind her while keeping my distance so she couldn't see me.
Thanks, Farida. You saved the night. |
"Forget" was the last word the boy heard from him. The boy thought
"Why did he say that? Wait, what did he say? Who was that? Did I talk to someone? I hope they are okay? Who are they? Why do I keep forgetting everything? Did they say something?"
"Remember" was the first thing that popped up in my head.
"Did somebody say that? I can't remember. Anyways this grass feels nice. Wait, why am I lying on the grass?"
I opened my eyes and saw that it's night. I looked around and I seemed to be in a park but I didn't recognize the park or the buildings surrounding it. However when I tried to think of other parks and towns I realized that he remembers only the famous ones that I have seen on TV and other devices.
Then I tried to think of other stuff, I realized that I have no memories related to who I am and only remember stuff that everyone knows. At that moment I felt a mix of sadness, anger and confusion for what I'm missing but I'm not sure if it was just for my memories or something else that caused me to feel like that. After I calmed down a little, I thought I needed to get some help. I stood up and then noticed that some police were going towards me.
"Stay still!" screamed one of the policemen with a strict tone towards me. I did what the policeman said. "We have gotten reports on illegal superpower usage in this area. Do you know anything about that?" asked the policeman, still keeping a strict tone. "I don't know anything about that. I just woke up" I answered. "So why were you even here in the middle of the night?" asked the policeman.
"I don't know, I don't even know who I am" I answered hoping that the police will help me. The policeman looked at me to see if I was telling the truth and said "Okay, I'm unsure if you are telling the truth however we will bring you to the station anyway". "Sure" I nodded. "First we have to look through your clothes in case you got any weapons" said the policeman and the boy agreed with that.
The police couldn't find anything on me and then they took me to their car to drive me to the station. At the station they were unable to identify me even when we were able to determine that my power let me auto dodge balls that get thrown at me. Then a few days later I was able to see some doctors but they couldn't find anything wrong with my brain and body but they were able to identify my age to in the late teens.
I also did a knowledge test and the result seems to say that I have the knowledge of a first year high school student. After all the tests they determined that the best option that I should do is to start to go to high school. I agreed but I felt that I could handle getting a job too. The police contacted some schools for me and found someone who still had a dormitory I could move into.
Because I was unidentifiable the paperwork took some time but I was able to move in shortly after the summer break started so almost everyone that lives at the dormitory had gone home when I moved in. It felt nice to finally get a real room instead of living at the police station and the hospital, however I had to share the room with someone else. Moving in didn't take much time because I had so little stuff. Just a smartphone, a few sets of clothes and some hygiene products that I got with the help of the police.
After I was done moving in I thought I should look around the area but as I walked out of my room I met a girl that had stayed at the dormitory. She had long silver blonde hair and a cute face. I said "Hello" to her. "Hello. I guess you are Kenshi's new roommate?" she asked while looking a little excited to see me. "Yeah, but I haven't met him yet" I answered. Her face turned serious and she said "Okay, then I should warn you that he likes to prove he is the strongest so he probably wants to fight you when he sees you".
Then she stopped looking serious and continued "However as long he can see how strong you are he will stop fighting and also he has never hit someone fatally so don't have to worry that you die". I was unsure if she told the truth but I didn't know if my power would be enough to dodge his attacks because of that I thought that I should be careful when I see him. "Anyways, my name is Eirian. What is yours" she asked.
I answered "I don't actually know but I am usually called Speed because I'm fast at dodging". "I hope we can be friends Speed" said Eirian with a big smile but what I didn't know at that time was that in a few months me and her would get involved in an incident that would completely change our lives.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
On the precipice of victory, the Monarchy of Endalm has dug deep into the borders of Toki in this seemingly never ending war. However, the Republic of the People of Toki had one more trick up its sleeve, an overwhelming effect on the world's economy. If Toki falls, the kingdom of Badigadi would lose almost 80% of their economy as well, so the kingdom of badigadi is prepared to back up Toki in this war at all costs. Their leader, Shion, is currently working with Galena and me.
Galena was once a member of the Monarchy of Endalm, but she defected after witnessing her countrymen being forced into slavery. She saw firsthand how the Monarchy uses humans as slaves, how they disfigure them, and even makes their skin into armor. As a result, Galena now defends those who are innocent and fights against injustice.
As the new ambassador for Badigadi, Galena is sent to Toki's capital city, Saitama, in order to build an alliance to defeat the Monarchy of Endalm.
The prime minister of Toki, Tamas, greets us as we enter his office. "Welcome Galena. It is a pleasure to have you here." He shows us around the building of further operations while showing off his lavish room. We also get to meet the other members of the government along with some of the city's people. They welcome us warmly. After the tour, we go out onto the balcony where the view of Toki is spectacular.
"So, tell me about your mission," the Prime Minister asks as he pours us each a glass of wine.
I take my time to answer his question. "Well, our main objective is to stop the Monarchy of Endalm before they can conquer any more territory."
"It sounds like it will be dangerous."
"Indeed, it will be. What is your strategy?" I ask.
"We've been doing everything we possibly can to prepare for when the Monarchy attacks. Although, with our lacking military strength, it would be best for both of us to build an alliance so that our combined forces can accomplish our similar goal." the Prime minister replies.
"That's what I'm trying to do. I don't want to fight either. So, please help me convince Toki to join us. Together, we can defeat the Monarchy of Endalm."
The Prime Minister thinks about this for a moment. "I think I understand your goal, but may I ask why you're asking me to help? You know that the Monarchy of Endalm and Toki have been at war for years."
"Yes. But, I can't say I've ever met anyone from Toki before. So, I thought it might be nice to introduce myself."
"If you're going to make that kind of request, then I suppose there's no harm in it. I'll try contacting my counterpart in Toki and see what I can do." The Prime Minister nods.
A few hours later, the phone rings and the second Prime Minister picks it up. "Hello?"
"It's me, the senior Prime Minister of Toki. Are you free right now? If so, I'd love to talk to you."
"Sure thing, let me just put down what I'm doing and I'll be happy to chat." After hanging up, the Prime Minister walks over to me and takes a seat.
"What did he want?"
"He wanted to confirm that I was indeed speaking with you." The Prime Minister smiles. "I told him yes. I haven't spoken with anyone from Toki since coming here. It's quite refreshing actually."
"Yes, it is. I wonder if I could speak with the King of Toki"
"No such king exists, we are a democratic republic with 2 Prime ministers, one Senior and one Junior" The Prime minister replies to the clearly uninformed ambassador.
"Oh, I didn't realize that. I apologize. I hope I didn't offend you. I'm not used to this type of culture."
"No need to apologize. In fact, we're glad to have someone from another kingdom visit our country. It's good to see different cultures interacting with each other."
"Thank you. I am grateful for this opportunity." The Prime Minister tells us.
"What's the status of your army?" I ask.
The Prime Minister looks at me with surprise. "You mean you don't know? Well, that is certainly unusual for an ambassador. Usually, they already know everything about the kingdom they're representing."
"Well, I am only a few decades old. I guess I don't really know anything yet."
"Well, first of all, we have approximately 14 million citizens. Of course, most are civilians, but we have about 12,000 soldiers. We have 3 divisions of 5,000 each. Our main base is near Toki's border. We also have 3 regiments of 1,500 each stationed in the east, west, and south respectively."
"Wow! That is impressive! I'm impressed by how young you are. To think you have such a large army. I wish we could have an alliance between our countries. I'm sure that would benefit both of us."
"Don't think too humbly of your country, it is not befitting of an ambassador. I, however would love to form an alliance with the kingdom of Badigadi" The Prime Minister says.
"Yes, I agree. You seem like a great person. I would love to work with you."
"Good, because we are in the middle of a battle right now. Would you mind if I call you back tomorrow?"
"Of course, just let me know what time works best for you. Thank you!" The Prime Minister hangs up and turns to me. "Looks like we've got ourselves a deal."
"It does look like we do. I'll make the arrangements and contact you again in a few days. Is that alright with you?"
"Absolutely, I will be waiting."
"Great."
(End of Chapter 1) |
After a few weeks, the two parties decide to hold a joint celebration of peace and prosperity between the kingdoms of Toki and Badigadi. At the banquet table, Galena and I stand next to each other. Galena is dressed in a beautiful blue dress, with a golden sash around her waist. Her black hair is braided down her back and covered with a veil. She looks absolutely stunning. On the other hand, I am wearing my usual black outfit.
We are able to talk with many of the ambassadors present at the feast. We also meet the new queen of Endalm, Queen Malina, who is lovely. She has long blonde hair with dark blue eyes and is very graceful.
"Hello, Galena. It is nice to finally meet you. My name is Queen Malina."
"Hello, Your Majesty. I am honored to finally be introduced to the Queen of Endalm. And, I must say, you are beautiful."
Queen Malina smiles.
"You may be wondering why a conglomerate of Endalm is at such a celebration, but I assure you, I am on your side full and full." The Queen continues, "I can not bear to stand what my husband has been doing to his subordinates and am willing to lay down my life if it means we have even a slightly higher chance of removing him from the throne"
"I completely agree. I also feel as though the current king is abusing his power and disregards the opinion of his people. We must stop him before it is too late." Galena says.
"That is exactly what we are here for. I have already taken steps to overthrow the tyrannical regime of Endalm and will continue working towards making the world a better place." Queen Malina says.
"I understand. I will do everything I can to help. Let's ensure that the Monarchy of Endalm is defeated once and for all!"
"Agreed. Let's find out where the next meeting will take place so we can start planning our attack."
After enjoying the fine celebration, the Ambassadors between Badigadi and Toki have a meeting to discuss the terms for an alliance between each other. Badigadi needs economical power, which Toki has, and Toki needs Military power, which Badigadi has. Together, both kingdoms can drive back the Monarchy of Endalm.
The Ambassador of Badigadi states, "First of all, we request that you allow us to use your ports and trade freely with other countries. Also, we would like to develop a military presence in your country. Furthermore, we would like to build a large trading center to export goods from Badigadi to other countries. We also ask that you send a small number of soldiers to aid us in the battle against the Monarchy of Endalm."
"Toki has always welcomed trade and foreign business. In return, we ask that you join forces with us in our campaign against the Monarchy of Endalm. We also ask that you provide a small number of soldiers to aid us in the upcoming battle. Finally, we ask that you give us access to the port and trade with us freely." The senior Prime Minister of Toki responds.
"Wonderful! I believe we are ready to sign the treaty. What do you think?"
"I agree. Signing this treaty will bring benefits to both kingdoms." The Senior Prime minister of Toki agrees.
"Excellent. Then, let's proceed with the signing ceremony." The Junior Prime Minister of Toki says.
The representatives from both countries come forward to sign the treaty. When it comes time for Badigadi, Galena signs on behalf of the kingdom. Once she finishes, the senior Prime Minister of Toki places his signature on the paper and hands it over to the junior Prime Minister of Toki. After that, the ambassadors of Badigadi and Toki sit together to have dinner. Galena is seated between the Junior Prime Minister of Toki and the Senior Prime Minister of Toki. They are talking about the festivities throughout the night.
"Do you remember when you first met the queen?" Galena asks.
"Yes, it was during my first year as minister. I wanted to get to know every single one of the ambassadors from across the land. I invited them here for a formal banquet to show off my new ideas for the kingdom. I had never seen so many beautiful women in my entire life. I was speechless. There were some I didn't expect to see there, like a princess from the Kingdom of Badigadi. That's when I noticed you sitting at the opposite end of the table. You looked so elegant and sophisticated. I felt intimidated in your presence."
"You're such a sweetheart. I felt the same way about you then. I was so captivated by your beauty, especially since you weren't wearing much clothing. I just wanted to get closer to you and tell you how I felt." Galena confesses.
"I couldn't wait for the moment we would be introduced. I felt like I was going to faint while waiting for you." The queen says to the minister.
"I felt the exact same way." Galena admits.
As the night progresses, Galena and I exchange stories of our past encounters with each other. By the end of the evening, we are extremely close friends and have made plans to meet up the next day.
(End of chapter 3) |
The King of Endalm, King Orbin III received news of the possibility of this alliance and is currently holding a meeting to discuss further action of the invasion of Toki's second biggest city, Tosho. Although Tosho holds the largest amount of soldiers, approximately 5,000, the overwhelming army of 30,000 would make light work of the city.
"well, what are we going to do about this new development?" the Tyrannical king asks to his assortment of nobles who are all afraid to speak first or else they may become an example.
"I suggest we dispatch our strongest assassins directly to the Senior prime minister of the republic of Toki" Says the bravest and youngest noble at the meeting, sir Caudules II.
"That would be useless. If we didn't get rid of both of Toki's prime ministers at once, they will just elect someone else to take their places. We need a strike team to remove all of the heads of government of Toki at once so the army and civilians would be thrown into disarray in which we can take advantage of the chaos and remove Toki's army swiftly." These words were spoken by the King's First Advisor and the oldest man in the court, Bishop Nicolaus V.
"That is a brilliant idea. I would volunteer myself to lead that squad, but I fear that I am too young and unintelligent for such an undertaking." Sir Caudules II says.
"Don't be foolish. You're the eldest son of the Baron of Norlanc. You are smart and wise enough to take on this task. Besides, you are the most powerful mage in this kingdom. You are a better choice than I," Bishop Nicolaus replies.
"I appreciate the praise, but I have no experience leading a group of men. I am just a simple noble who only knows how to cast spells."
"I have no doubt that you can learn this skill. Just be the leader you are meant to be." The king replies to his advisor's suggestion.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will do my best to ensure that this plan succeeds." Sir Caudules II says.
"I am counting on you." King Orbin III replies, "Now, let's begin discussing the details of our attack on Tosho."
(End of Chapter 2. Sorry it was so short, it just seems like this is the best place to stop it for it to still make sense) |
The next morning, Galena and I are relaxing after breakfast. She takes off her veil and lets down her hair. I take in the sight of her beauty. Galena is dressed casually in a white blouse and a pair of blue jeans. She pulls out a comb from her pocket, brushes through her hair, and ties the ends together with a silver ribbon.
"So, what are you up to today?" Galena asks.
"Me? Oh, nothing really. I just want to go for a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air." I respond.
"Perhaps I'll join you. It's tough work being an ambassador and after finally sealing that alliance I have found plenty of time to relax." says Galena.
"what's it like being an ambassador? it must be tough wor-" The message was interrupted by one of the Minister's messengers who looks completely disheveled.
"What's the matter, Mr. messenger?" I ask, a little disappointed to be interrupted during my talk with the genius Galena.
"Sir this is terrible. We need you back in the building of further operations Now! Both of the Prime ministers are... dead!"
Nothing but shock could be felt after hearing these words. The Prime ministers dead? In the safest building in the safest city of the great country of Toki? It didn't seem possible, but the messenger was serious. He grabbed my hand and lead me strait back to the building to survey the wreckage.
Both ministers lay dead on the floor, with a perfect X drawn into both of their necks. The sight was disgusting and made many government officials leave the room because they became sick after seeing it.
"These Xs are proof of a famous group of assassins called the Executioners who work exclusively for the kingdom of Endalm" Count Nizuki of the northern estate claims. Everyone in the room already knew of it though, they had been warned of many different assassins since the day they could speak. such was the risk of working such an important job, especially in a war.
"Who will become the new Prime ministers for this country now that both are dead?" Asks the Queen of Endalm, Marina.
"The Speaker of the Nobles will become the Junior Prime minister and the Bishop of the Holy alliance will become the senior."
"which bishop?" the Queen asks. Of course she wouldn't know the answer, she is a foreigner after all.
"Bishop Otto van Vinderchev."
"So, what happens now?" I ask, trying to break the silence that had fallen over the room.
"Well, sir, it will be up to the new Prime Ministers to choose a new head of the church. Until then, the Holy Alliance shall continue on as we have done for centuries."
After the meeting, I ran to my room and packed a bag full of things.
(End of chapter 4) |
2 hours later, we receive word that Tosho has indeed Not been invaded and instead our military base to the south, Bodan, has been overrun by seemingly 25,000 soldiers. This leads us all into a panic. We've been tricked! The battle is elsewhere and we're all here waiting for it to begin! As the 15,000 soldiers hurriedly march towards the city of bodan, which is roughly 30 miles away, a smaller troop of 5,000 Endalm soldiers block our path. Clearly, they are meant to buy time for the invasion.
The battle begins and their troops are quickly outmaneuvered. Within minutes, the entire force of Endalm was wiped out. We were victorious.
"What happened?" The general shouts.
"we managed to defeat the Endalman forces, sir!"
"Then let's make haste to Bordan, there are civilians there!" The general gives the command to move.
"Yes, Sir!" the soldiers say as they begin to walk very swiftly towards the invasion point, bordan.
Upon arrival we observed a horrific sight. Bordan was completely destroyed. Buildings were toppled, bodies of fallen civilians lay scattered across the ground. But despite this, the soldiers remained calm. They were not afraid of the invading army, but were instead eager to get revenge for their fallen people.
(End of chapter 6. This is also where the AI left off, so I doubt there will be a chapter 7 cause i'm not that good with storytelling lol) |
The next day, a messenger comes to me asking if I would like to attend the funeral for the two slain ministers. I decline saying I'm not interested in attending funerals. So, instead, he tells me to prepare for the upcoming battle. I tell him that as i am an ambassador of the kingdom of Badigadi, i am under no obligation to fight in this war. But, he insists that I should come anyway.
"It seems that the new prime ministers are sending everyone to the front lines. I hope they don't mind me coming along." I say.
"No worries. It is your duty to serve your king." the messenger responds.
"Alright then. I'll make sure to pack my fighting gear."
The next day, I am standing in the courtyard of the castle preparing for my journey to Toki. The sun is shining in the sky, and the birds are chirping. It is a beautiful day.
"Be careful out there. The enemy knows the terrain better than we do." A voice says from behind me.
"Alex!" I say, startled to see my friend turned General whom i havent seen or spoken to in years.
"I heard about your promotion. Congrats!" Alex says, smiling.
"Thanks."
I look at my reflection in the pond and notice that I have changed quite a bit since my last visit.
"I can't believe that I haven't seen you since you graduated from the academy and got stationed here. How did you find out about my promotion?" I ask.
"You know, in the army you can find anything through word of mouth." Alex states.
"How long have you been in the army?" I ask.
"Not too long actually. I was just assigned to this post a couple months ago."
This is shocking as Generals are very powerful soldiers that typically take years to develop to their fullest potential. Only a generational talent could reach such a rank in a few months.
"so what brings you here?"
"I'm coming along with you. I figured it would be good experience for me to get used to battle conditions for later encounters."
"Oh, okay. Good idea." I reply.
The armies of Endalm and Toki advance towards the city of Tosho. Tosho is heavily fortified and prepared for the attack due to its location being surrounded by high cliffs and mountains. However, the overwhelming forces of Endalm give it a clear advantage over Toki, even with the help of Badigadi they could only muster 15,000 soldiers in such a short amount of time compared to Endalm's 30,000. However, every single soldier from both Toki and Badigadi are highly trained and very skilled. This is why there is such a small amount of them compared to the population of Toki.
As soon as we enter the city we find ourselves surrounded by guards and soldiers.
"Ummm. Excuse me. What is the meaning of all this? Why are there so many soldiers surrounding us?" I ask. (The guards dont usually detain other soldiers unless they are acting suspiciously or are not recognized)
"There has been a lot of suspicious behavior recently. Please step aside." One of the guards commands.
"Excuse me! Do you realize the situation that we are all in? This is a very important battle that may decide the fate of the war! If we can not assist our fellow soldiers, we may not be able to defeat Endalm!" I reply sternly.
"I understand your frustration. However, this is for your own safety and the safety of others. Please cooperate."
"What is all the commotion? Did something happen?" A voice from above says.
A general stands at the top of the gate into the city and surveys the situation before making his decision.
"Ah, sir, the enemy has launched an attack on Tosho." The captain of the guard informs the general.
"Just as i thought. Go ahead and send out the troops. Let's not waste any more time!"
The guard looks at us once more and decides to give the order to let us in. Inside is a seeming peaceful city, though unnaturally quiet. This is because all of the citizens had been evacuated before the battle could ensue.
"How much longer until they are expected to arrive?" I ask the guard who keeps nervously glances around.
"roughly 2 hours" He replies.
(End of chapter 5) |
-O que me diz? Vamos?
Os dois se encaravam, sem expressão. Era como se o tempo estivesse parado na beira daquele lago. Enquanto um estendia sua mão, o outro continuava estático, apenas com o movimento de seu casaco de terno tremulando no vento como uma bandeira preta.
-Anda, o que está esperando? Não quer ir pra lá?
A figura majestosa mais parecia um deus. Era um momento digno de um vitral de igreja. Uma composição que indicava a possível mudança dos cursos do destino, de agora em diante. O outro decide se manifestar:
-Para aonde iremos agora? Estamos sem rumo, não?
Uma pausa brusca é interrompida por uma bufada.
-Ora, pro futuro, imbecil.
Confuso, ele decide dar de ombros e se entregar a tentação. Ao oferecer sua mão esquerda, os dois firmam um aperto melancólico. Os sentimentos de tempos atrás se conflitam entre si.
-Obrigado por tudo.
-Digo o mesmo.
Com sua mão direita, o homem tira uma arma silenciada de seu bolso, e a aponta em direção à outra pessoa.
Um quieto tiro é disparado, seguido de um estrondo. Ninguém se encontrava presente na volta do lago.
Ninguém sequer ouviu. |
In the second meeting for the Kingdom of Endalm, a Happy Bishop Nicolaus reports to the King that both the Senior and Junior Prime ministers are dead and that because the Bishop of the Holy Alliance can not hold both positions at once, the Church is left without a leader so they can not do much either.
"This is great news, however, we have no way to confirm whether or not they do not have any backup plans. continue the invasion of Tosho as usual" The King demands. He is glad to hear the news and is proud to have a group like the Executioners working for him, as they've never failed a job before.
"Very well Your Majesty, the invasion shall continue until we are successful."
(End of chapter 5, literally only like 700 characters, sorry about that but once again, it only makes sense to stop here) |
"Darpan Almeida!"
"Present!"
Shosen International school, Tokyo
Darpan Almeida, That's the name. I don't really know why my parent's named me this way. Heck, Why does anything get named? Amirite? Doing Class gets very boring very quick, I don't Even know who some of my classmates are.
Besides, I'm a transfer student.
I haven't seen my parents in a while. I kind of miss the feeling of having to be treated upon. I might sound like such a spoiled brat but I don't really work for things, Y'know? I find the thought of Having to work for the things you have kind of boring and plain. What kind of motivation is that?
Without Interactions and friends, How else are you supposed to get what you want.
I'll just rely on my friends, BOOM! Easy peasy! Plus, It's good nature to get friends on your first day.. I think, Yeah I don't know who I should start with, Plus having to be a transfer student is such a pain.
I miss all my old friends, And I don't know who would be my new ones. Could they Even Understand me? Could they Understand my mannerisms if you get what i mean? It's like this whole school was made to be the whole counter to me. I used to be a loner, But ill come back this year! Probably.
If i don't make friends on the first day I basically failed, Like I said it's good nature to get friends on your first day. This world is like pots and pans! I think.. So many colors so many things, What's not to love, You know what I'm saying!
Looking at my classmates, I can tell this one is gonna be just right. Quiet kids, Gangster kids, Loud kids, And ME. I don't deserve to be grouped into one of those people for I am High and Mighty! But a prince like myself shouldn't start off the school year with no friends.
So I guess We should start the day by talking with some of my colleagues. You know?
"Hey, Psst"
"Huh?"
"Class is Pretty Boring Right? What's your name?"
"Uhh, Eden... Eden Ay-"
"Shshshsh, The Teachers about to say something!"
After Some Boring Lessons, I headed out of the classroom since It was Break Time. I keep forgetting that there are alot of people at this school. God, This place is too big for my liking.
I wonder if this many people could handle the bombastic personality that is; Yours truly.
"Well, Let's get started." I say to myself like an anime protagonist.
Get started on what... I don't even know what to do. I know nobody. heheh, But, I guess I should start low with the friend making, How would I greet myself? I don't want to talk all rich and royalty, Nor Do i want to sound Bland And Plain, I need something that would scream "I AM FRIEND MATERIAL!" But What Part of me Would make my new friends think like that!
Before I could even stop thinking. In the distance i could hear the faint yelling in the hallway
This is a good start since I can start making friends there. I'll just approach them with a Heya! or What's down? Y'know?
With that, I walked towards the yelling |
Running Towards the scream. I saw 3 students in the hallway. They're both in my class. I just don't know who they are, They look like they haven't slept in 500 days. What are they even doing out here? They're both staring at something on the floor.
It's like this school was made for me. I don't even know where I am and I'm already near a place with some significance. Hell, I wonder how long it'll take before I'm talk of the school.
Before I finished my sentence I heard steps faintly getting louder towards my direction.
"Hey Aren't Y-"
"AHHH!" As I said after I tripped over myself.
It was Eden! I forgot what his last name was. I should listen to people more Often. Having a more stoic face compared to anyone I've seen, Heck, is he even showing emotion?? I've never seen someone have such a blank expression after scaring people like that.
"You can't just scare people like that, I've gotta say, You're creepy"
"Uh, What do you mean?"
"Next Time! You shouldnt sneak up on me! Y'Understand?!"
Wearing Glasses like he's some anime character, gosh. He even looks like one. People who look like that are probably high tier students. I should befriend him! He'll be so useful in my special plan! With my Speed and his smarts I could do anything. But that Hairline could use some work though.
After standing up, I guess I should Introduce myself more properly this time.
"Hey, I couldnt get your full name last time. My names Darpan Almeida. What about you?"
"Uhh, It's Eden Ayaganov. Say. What're you doing here? I just saw you blanking out of your soul like 5 seconds ago."
Hmmm... "Blanking out" I wonder what he means by that. How did he even
notice me. Last time I checked I haven't been noticed by anyone since 5
minutes ago! Is he making fun of me? Or Is that an expression!
"Yeah, But Y'know me, I'm the bravest man on planet earth! I could take 500 men on at once! If you know what I mean"
Walking around the school with my New friend. We met some new faces. Pretty ones, Ugly Ones, and EVERY SINGLE TYPE OF RACE EVER IMAGINABLE! Being Energetic is boring. It's like you have to start the conversation, Or Else. Who will? Who'll Open the door for you if you wont? I guess sometimes you have to work for something. No matter how Stupid It is.
After Chatting with my Evan for quite awhile we got to know alot about eachother.
"Say.. Did you hear the scream noise earlier?"
"Yeah I did."
Geez, So bland. At least say something after before you end it. Feeling so empty. But I'm happy I got someone else to company me, To be honest, You know what I want? I want freedom, If everybody's not free then what's the point of living?
As I kept walking, I accidentally bumped into a girl while I wasn't looking.
"OUCH, FUCK!" I said after falling on my head.
"You okay?" Said Eden. In a terminator like voice.
After looking at what hit me, It was the girl next to the class from ours. 'Allyna Permano'? Was it? With Pink Glasses and Boobs as big as heaven. Last time i saw her she was the talkative type, Had a trash English Accent.
"Oops, Sorry.. I wasnt looking where I was going."
Yeah the accent is very visible. I dont need a telegram to notice it. I can't even begin to say how much I hate it.
"Yeah, No problem, You're the class next to ours right?" I replied.
"Yeah! I am! I was actually heading to class since Lunch Time is about to end!"
I didn't even know it was about to end. That's really how much time past? I thought it's been 5 minutes.
"We should Run to class, Like. Right now." |
September 1, 2031
Ring* Ring* Ring*
I woke up at the sound of my phone alarm ringing. I reach out to the small table beside my bed where I usually put it. It's still too early, I have 2 hours before my class. I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep.
*A couple of minutes later
My phone rang again albeit with a different tune.
"What is it this time." I pondered irritably
Bleary-eyed, I took a look at my phone. I reflexively straightened my back when I saw my mom calling. She's probably checking to see if I'm already awake. If I don't answer this, she will think I'm still asleep and get the scolding of my life the next time we meet.
I answered the call.
"Honey, have you already prepared for school? It's your first day at the university and I'm gonna be mad if you're late again." She inquired.
"I-I'm almost done"
Shit, my dry and croaking voice probably gave away that I had just woken up.
"Katherine Katyusha, if you don't get out of your bed this instant, ill halve the allowance I'm sending you." She said in a cold and intimidating voice.
How was she even so sure that I'm lying! She even used my whole name, sending chills down my spine. I instantly hopped out of my bed.
"I'm already awake! Let's not be too hasty mom." I said placatingly.
She sighed.
"Honestly, you should grow out of your habit of staying up late at night. It's your first day in your college and you would've been late if I didn't wake you up again. I worry about you living alone in that apartment." She said worriedly.
"I'm fine now Mom I'm old enough to handle myself. I'm gonna get ready for school now. Bye! Love ya!" I said quickly.
I hung up immediately so that she would not transition her call to an hour-long scolding, which in turn would definitely make me late for my first class.
After my morning stretches, I took a quick shower to get my blood running.
Then after drying with a towel, I positioned myself in front of the mirror to get changed into my attire.
In front of me is a 5'⁹ tall black-haired girl. Ocean blue pearls encased in a sharp eye, white skin due to lack of sunlight, marble-like nose, and mature looks with a fit body shape and moderate breasts.
After dressing up in my casual wear and brushing my shoulder-length black hair to look more presentable, I went to the mini kitchen in my apartment and prepared breakfast. Bacon and eggs were the obvious choice, easy to make and satisfying to eat.
I placed the meal I cooked in front of the dining table and called out in a moderately audible voice.
"T.V. on"
The television which was prompted by my voice command turned on. Technology nowadays is more convenient than ever, I thought as I watch. The channel seems to be focused on news and current events. Since I currently don't have anything I want to watch, I ate while listening to the newscaster's voice.
"In other news, the prize pool for the popular VR MMORPG Champions of Andartha's Andartha Cup was revealed. It has yet again surpassed the record for the highest prize pool in a single tournament in the history of e-sports. The current prize pool is a whopping 47 million dollars for the whole tournament!" The newscaster exclaimed.
"They outdid their selves again huh," I murmured.
Nowadays, the rising popularity of e-sports made it comparable to normal conventional sports. It is not that unusual to see it being headlined in the news, especially those tournaments with a huge prize pool. Compared to being debated as a 'real' sport back then, it is a major improvement for gaming fans alike.
"But that has nothing to do with me."
After finishing my breakfast, I put the plates and utensils in the sink for me to wash later. I brushed my teeth and did my final preparations before going out the door and pressing the button on the elevator in the hallway. I am currently on the 8th floor of the building so walking down would be quite tiring. After waiting for a while, the elevator opened revealing 4 people riding it. It is a little bit cramped but what can you do, it is a busy morning after all so the majority of people go to work or school this time of the day.
"Excuse me," I said politely as I entered the elevator.
As the elevator door shut, I waited for it to arrive on the ground floor while trying my best not to yawn.
After arriving at the ground floor, walk briskly to the exit of the high-rise apartment complex passing by the guard who voiced a quick morning greeting (to whom I nodded in acknowledgment), I walk into the underground station just around the corner of the street.
A part of why my parents decided to pick the apartment complex was that it was well-guarded and close to the train station on a crime-free street. They're quite overprotective I know, but every parent who cares for their child's wellbeing is the same.
There are many people in the station due to the rush hour but thankfully it is offset by the fact that there are more than 10 payment terminals. I flashed my phone and it scanned instantly prompting a confirmation in deducting money from my account.
I don't carry any wallets since it has become obsolete nowadays due to the ease of payments using e-wallets. It's also harder to steal your money as it needs confirmation from you.......... unless they cut off your finger and brutally torture you to use your voice to bypass security.
Just as I bypass the terminal onto the railway, I hear the bullet train fast approaching. I rode the semi-crowded train while pondering what the first day of my college life has in store for me.
-----------------------------
After arriving at the train station stop and walking a few meters, I arrived at the front gate building of Summit Peak University whose name is plastered into its gate building in a mix of blue and gold colors. In my previous visits here for my enrollment and my entrance exam, I know that the university has 4 main buildings. First is the one in front of me, the gate building. It mainly accommodates visiting guests and checks if students have the proper authorization to be let in. The security team of the university is also stationed here. Second is the east building where I'm supposed to head right now for my first class. The third is the north building (Also known as the main building) which houses most of the clubs and other important facilities. Last is the west building where I also have some of my classes for later.
I nervously walk as I entered the gate building among the many students who is also heading in the same direction I was. I was promptly stopped by the scanner wherein I flashed my id card to gain entry. Inside there are plenty of security officers roaming around whom politely greeted students as they enter. I reciprocated the ones who greeted me as I headed for the exit onto the east building. As I exit the gate building, I passed the beautiful park-like courtyard of the university and saw many students who are sitting on benches and relaxing under the red oak tree. I kind of envy them since I too would wish to spend my time here if I didn't have my first class to attend.
I arrived at the east building while taking in the scenery and slowly headed towards the classroom I am assigned to. My social anxiety started to kick in. I was a bit nervous and apprehensive as I stopped a few meters away from the door of the room. I saw other students walk inside and composed myself to do the same.
After a short while, I took a deep breath and mustered my courage as I entered the door. What greeted me inside was a large room with seats connected in a curvature elevated with each row for an easier view of the back rows. There were more than 20 students as far as I can tell and most of them just keep to themselves save for a few who probably knew each other beforehand. In the middle of it all was the teacher's podium with a large screen as tall as me at the back it's back. I saw an empty seat at the farthest back corner and tried to make myself look as small as possible while silently walking past the other seats to arrive at my goal all the while ignoring the curious stares I received.
I sighed in relief as I got seated on the farthest row of the classroom. I immediately brought up my school-issued tablet and very carefully attached it to the table. The tablet was still school property unlike my tablet and phone so it would be very bad if I damage it. Aside from paying the fine, it would be quite embarrassing to explain my clumsiness. It fit quite well with a satisfying clink on the metal-like structure for its intended purpose. As I finished my preparations, I overhear some of my classmates talking to each other.
"I heard from my sister who studies here that our professor in this class is kind and considerate." Came from a male voice.
"For real? I hope so, I'm kinda scared, to be honest. It would be a huge relief if our teachers aren't super strict. For real!" A high-pitched female voice responded.
I'd be more relieved if you could just speak normally, for real.
Though to be honest, I am also quite glad that I'm not the only one apprehensive about the class. Misery loves company, I guess.
"Have you watched the game yesterday between RG and Eclipse?" A boisterous voice said.
"Of course, you know I'm a big Zetta fan, I wouldn't miss a single one of his matches." A cheerful female voice chimed in.
Zetta is a name I haven't heard for quite a while. The mention of it made me do a quick look at the one talking.
As I turned to look at the source of the voice, I saw a blonde girl with a bubbly disposition. She had a pretty-looking face, more on the cute side than beautiful but pleasing to the eye nonetheless. One distinctive feature that I immediately noticed is her breast which looks like it is constrained in her casual t-shirt and skirt wear. God it's huge, does she ever have back pain in those?
"Hmph, I can beat that guy if we ever have a 1v1 match without set advantages." The boy said smugly.
He was a lanky boy with sharp facial features and brown hair with a faded cut. He has an air of arrogance and confidence around him. He gives off an aura of someone who is prideful and hates to lose. I'm probably wrong but that is just the impression I get from looking at him.
"If you can't even win against me in a 1v1 fight, how can you expect to win against any pro? And Zetta no less?" the girl defended her idol.
"I was just holding back because you're a girl! If I got serious, you won't stand a chance." The guy bit back.
"Again with your excuses! Just admit I'm better than you!"
I get that trash-talking is a part of playing competitive games, even more so between close friends but pick the right place and the right time for Pete's sake. You guys are garnering stares you know, I feel a second-hand embarrassment just by looking at you two.
Thankfully the professor arrived halting their bickering. No, wait! not 'thankfully', I haven't mentally prepared myself yet! I blame these two for this.
Having not even the slightest idea of my internal plight, the professor confidently walked to the center. He is tall, cleanly shaven, and has short-cut dark hair. He is probably in his mid-thirties judging by his mature looks which are enunciated by his black suit and tie. He proceeds to prepare his things while completely ignoring the class as if it were a daily occurrence, which to be fair, it probably is. That went on for a while and no one in the room dares to even utter a single word. As the silence was becoming unbearable for me, the professor suddenly voiced out for the very first time since he entered.
"Good morning, everyone. I will be your World History A010 instructor, I am Mr. Abel Jones or you may simply refer to me as Mr. Jones" He said in a loud clear voice all the while his whole name flashed on the large screen at his back.
The whole class responded to his greeting though not in unison and with different audibility.
"Before anything else, I have only one house rule you must follow during my class, and that is not to interrupt me while I am teaching," He said commandingly.
"I do not care if you do not listen as long as you pass the practical and exam but do not spoil it for those who are willing to learn. Do I make myself clear?" He said in a loud, intimidating voice.
A resounding 'Yes sir' came from the whole class.
"Good, as long as you follow that simple rule, we will get along just fine. Moving on, first on the list is attendance. Please verify your attendance"
At his cue, a verification screen was prompted into the student-issued tablet. It was a form of attendance and very efficient at that. All you have to do is to verify your thumbprint on the tablet and you will be marked as present for the given class. It beats having to roll call every time since it is time efficient and cheat free......Unless you cut off your classmate's finger and bring it to class for his or her attendance....... what the heck is wrong with me with these grim thoughts just randomly popping out of nowhere today.
"So, everyone is present except for..... 'Mr. Harison Walker'?" He said as if expecting the Harison guy to interject, but no voice came.
"Now to start your very first day of my class, ill pair you into groups of two." He said as the screen behind him showed the whole class's Ids in pairs of two.
I took a look at the face (taken from our id) and name I am paired with and realization dawned on me. It was a picture of the blonde girl from before who was arguing with the boisterous guy. I took a look at the girl, Elizabeth Miles. For a moment she seemed to be searching for her pair but when our eyes met, she flashed me a dazzling smile. I nod in acknowledgment and instantly took my eyes off her pretending to listen to the professor in an attempt to hide my diffidence.
"These groups are randomly computer generated so there are no biases. What I would like you to do for today is to write a biography about the student you are paired with. It will serve as a practice for writing an autobiography about yourself for one of your later projects. You will send it to me at our next meeting via your class tablet. Keep it short for now, just a general summary biography of about 250 to 500 words. Do note that you will be graded individually. Any questions?"
A girl in the front raised her hand, it is hard to see her features from here but she seems nervous.
"Uhm.... my pair is absent." The girl said in an almost inaudible voice.
"Oh, I forgot about Mr. Walker. You join another group for now." He pressed something on the podium and one of the pairs became a group of three. "The three of you decide on who writes about whom. Any other questions?"
After a short while of silence, he continued.
"Okay, you may begin, move to your pairs as you wish." He said as he took an old-fashioned copy of a book (something you rarely see nowadays) from his bag and started to read, leaving us to our own devices.
What that guy said earlier about the professor seems true. While he may be intimidating at first glance, he probably paired us in consideration of those who have no acquaintances yet in this class to make friends. Like me for example...... How depressing.
As I was ruminating about our professor's actions, I heard someone call out to me.
"Katherine Katyusha, right?"
Came a polite sound from the girl who was supposed to be my pair. Okay, Kat doesn't screw this up, better make the best impression you possibly can.
"Elizabeth Miles, I presume?" I gave her a polite smile
'I presume' my ass! Now I sound like a stuck-up honor student. God, I'm not used to interacting with other people.
"You can just call me Elizabeth, or Liz for short"
I nodded not knowing how to respond to her straightforwardness.
"Ohh are you Russian? I mean your surname sounds like one."
Is she doing the activity thing already? Probably not judging by her demeanor. I think she is just genuinely curious.
"My father is half Russian and half American but my mother is pure American so..... that makes me a quarter Russian I guess."
"Ohh really!" She said excitedly
Where do your folks live?
"I came from a town called Ardmore just west of this city so, I'm new here to the city so I don't have that many acquaintances."
None at all in fact besides my aunt, but let's not tell her that.
"Ohh I grew up here in Philadelphia so you can ask me anything you'd like to know!"
"I'll keep that in mind. But first, let's continue while we write the information. It would be bad if we forget what we will write in the biography."
"O-ohh...... I uhmm... almost forgot about that." She said apologetically while looking sheepishly at me.
Thought so, she's not writing anything and I doubt she has a perfect memory.
Our conversation continued while writing the important points. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her with her leading the conversation of course. When it came to hobbies, she became much more energetic and expressive than she usually was (which is a lot). She talks about her being a streamer of the game Champions of Andartha. A game I am very familiar with.
Champions of Andartha or commonly called CoA by its players. It was the most successful game that came out when the new technology full immersion virtual reality pod was in its initial stages of becoming well renowned. It has drastically risen in popularity along with the full immersion VR with a current player base of over 870 million and rising, according to the article I read. It is mainly due to its competitive scene that garnered a lot of attention for potential players and the like. It was out for almost 4 years but every year the player base keeps increasing or so they say. Its biggest event, the Andartha Cup, a yearly tournament held every late November has the largest prize pool in the history of esports and is also integral to its popularity. Being a champion in that tournament can set you up for a lifetime of luxurious living, except for the first tournament though.
"How about you? What are your hobbies?" she asked curiously.
"I uhh..... play VR games too. Mostly single-player ones".
"Ohh! You should try playing Champions of Andartha! It's very fun especially when you play PVP with a team!" She voiced out loud getting a few stares from our surroundings.
"I..... already played it," I said in a subdued voice, prompting her to keep it down.
"Really!? What's your ign? What level and what role are you specialized in?" She said excitedly, akin to a child finding a playmate for the very first time.
"It's not my account though, I just used someone else." I half told the truth.
Memories of my sister flashed by. My heart sank while bile began to escape from my throat.
Not here not now Kat. Hold it in. Do it only when you're alone.
"......Katherine?"
"Ohh sorry! I didn't hear you, I was lost in thought. What was it again?"
"I said, my friends and I scheduled a friendly match later with the local VR cafe players. Wanna come with me later? Pleeeeaasssee?" She begged cutely making me want to accept it there and then.
VR cafes huh, never been into one but I heard it became commonplace after the rise in popularity of the VR pod. The news I read said that it will experience a boom just like those PC cafes back in the day, though I was probably a baby back then.
I pondered my choices for a second. A voice inside me wants to spend more time with Liz, while another, the logical part of me doesn't want to go.
"I told you, I don't have an account." I made up an excuse, mostly for myself than for refusing her.
She smiled a bit smugly.
"I have another account that I don't use that much anymore. Max leveled at that. If you come with me later, I promise that you can use it anytime you like.
Very tempting. To think she'd go that far, basically almost giving me free use of an account just to spend time with me makes me feel guilty even thinking about rejecting her.
"I'll think about it," I said neutrally.
She pouted but I ignored it.
"But right now, let's focus on the activity." I forcefully changed the subject.
We talked a lot sharing most of the things we are both comfortable with sharing like our courses and such. I mostly avoid the topics about my family and thankfully she doesn't pry either. I also found out that aside from being a streamer, she is also the guild leader of Concord of Heroes'. It doesn't ring a bell, though to be fair, I'm not up to date with the current popular guilds. She is adamant about only recruiting members that she knows personally, a big reason why she wants me to play with them later and also to join her guild. Time flies as we talked and listened to things about each other and pondered what we are going to write in the bio. She is surprisingly fun and easy to talk to, even for an introvert like me.
Our teacher suddenly interrupted the whole class, prompting both of our thoughts back to the present.
"As the time is up, those of you who are not yet finished may continue even after our class if you wish. Just be sure to pass the bio of your partner on to our next meeting on Wednesday. That is it for today. Class dismissed." He left the class as eye-catching as he entered.
Elizabeth and I both looked at each other.
"Time sure flies when you're having fun huh." She said as she smiled.
I smiled back affirmingly.
"Ohh. you got any more questions for me?" She suddenly asked.
"I'm all good, I can work with what I have. You?"
"Hmmm.... I do actually," she said as she smiled mischievously. "Soooo.....about the PVP game later, you'll come with, right?" She asked hopefully.
I sighed
"Fine, fine" I conceded.
I'll just make an excuse if I actually can't play it later but ill lay it aside for now and let the future me handle it.
She beamed.
"See you later then!" she waved as she headed for her next class, which is disappointingly not the same as mine.
-------------------------------- |
"Okay, so what do you want to know about CoA?"
It was the next day after I promised to meet together with Clarissa. We are currently having a break from grinding mobs together. I also said I would teach her the basics, so here we are, in the middle of the forest. Just a little far off one of the grinding spots for new players so that we could converse in peace.
"Uhmm... I'm not really sure...."
Maybe that was too broad of a question, I haven't taught anyone CoA and I have no experience at all in teaching so I'm just grasping some straws here.
It also doesn't help that the game doesn't have tutorials except for how to use the basic functions. It encourages players to approach the trial and error tactic, which means you die more often than not in learning the ropes. It's incredibly harsh I know but the CoA team reasoned that players are more than likely to enjoy a challenging game that they need to explore to learn it themselves as opposed to a game that spoon-feeds them. It seems to be working out for them I suppose with them being the most popular VRMMO currently. Though there are countless beginner-friendly guides you can search on the net anyways so it helps if you despise this manner of approach of theirs.
I never read any of those tutorials so I have no basis for teaching newbies. Besides, It will surely shatter my pride to a billion pieces if I, a former champion of the Andartha's Cup, stoop as low as reading a beginner's guide.
Seems like I have no choice. I'll just tell her whatever comes to mind I guess. I'm a veteran after all so how hard could it be?
"Okay, let's start with stats, first off is uhh..... the HP bar you can see on the topmost left side of your vision, the green one. It goes down whenever you take a hit. If it goes down to zero...... you umm..... die?" I tried.
Okay, I definitely don't know what I'm doing, I mean, everybody already knows that. Why am I even telling her such useless information?
"Oh, I see! So that is why it goes down whenever I'm hurt." She exclaimed as if she had a scientific revelation.
Seriously! Is this the first ever game you've played? I sighed... This is gonna take a while.
"Moving on, next is the mp bar. Skills cast by mages and weapon skills consume mana.
If you want to be a mage, you need to excel in proper mana management so you don't run out of MP on crucial times when you need to cast a certain spell that could turn the tides of a battle. And even if you're not a mage, you need to properly manage your mana so you don't run out when you need to cast your weapon skill." I continued.
"Uh-huh."
Seems like she has a hard time grasping the concept, but it doesn't matter much, I'll just instruct her as she experiences it for herself. Experience is the best teacher after all.
"Below the mana bar is the stamina bar, it goes down if you perform laborious tasks such as running and doing combo attacks. Like mana,
y
ou have to properly manage it since if it is depleted, you'll be in a state of fatigue wherein you cannot move for a short time. Still with me."
"Y-yes"
"There are things that increase stamina consumption such as debuffs, weapon skills, acquiring a PVP orb, and many other things, but I won't get into much details of it for now."
She nodded.
"Okay let's move to the main stats. This will decide what role you specialize in depending on your stats distribution.
"There are a total of 5 main attributes you can allocate your stat points into namely, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Vitality, and Wisdom. You should know them by now if you open your stats window... You do know how to open it, right?"
"Yes! I learned it from the kind man I met yesterday" she replied.
She must be talking about one of the NPCs who teaches the basics of basics in one of the side quests. I skipped that quest though because I already know most of what it wants to teach to newbie players.
"Okay, I'll explain every stat in detail so you would know what you want to specialize in."
"First is the Strength stat" I continued. "It is the basic requirement of heavy weapons and shields such as claymores, swords, and bucklers, among others. Increasing it lets you equip those weapons. The main feature of this stat is increasing physical damage by 5 multipliers per point in it and 2 critical modifiers per point. It also affects your weight by a very slight degree so you won't get blown away easily by the heavy hits you receive. Though weight is mostly affected by armor so if you want to be heavier, equipping heavy armor is your best bet. But let's get back on topic." I got sidetracked.
"Next is Dexterity, most weapons that rely on grace and mastery instead of brute strength need the Dexterity stats for you to equip them. Some of the examples of this in the back of my mind are daggers, whips, claws, dual-bladed swords, katanas, and scimitars, among others. The main point of increasing dex is to increase your critical damage. Do you know what critical damage is?"
"Uhm, I'm not quite sure" she hesitated.
Thought so.
"Have you noticed when you hit the wolves and slimes earlier when we were grinding, they sometimes die instantly?"
"Ohh yes I was wondering about that!" Her mood suddenly shifted, as if a light bulb lit her mind.....how cute.
"What you did there are critical hits. Every enemy has a critical point in them. For example, most humanoid monsters have their heads as critical points, so always aim for the head if you can. Some monsters are an exception though. For example, the slimes we fought earlier have blue orbs in their body, right? That is their critical point."
"I see" she pondered for a moment.
"Is that why you keep hitting the guy's head yesterday when you two fought?"
"Precisely, humans also have critical points. 2 points to be exact, the head and the back. The head gives a much higher damage multiplier but hitting the back of a player also counts as a critical hit, though not as high in damage compared to hitting their head. I'm not going to bore you with the exact numbers and calculations of the damage but that's the gist of it." I summarized.
Though it's more on the fact that I'm not really sure about the exact numbers. I just let the CoA community nerds do the calculations.
"Increasing dexterity also gives a large increase in critical damage and a little bonus in physical damage per point, an increase of 5 and 2 respectively. The opposite of strength's stat increase per point. So if your gameplay is doing precise attacks at the enemy's critical point, prioritizing dexterity would be the best thing to do. Though I don't recommend it since you're still fairly new to the game as it requires skill in landing critical blows." I added.
"Moving on, we have the Intelligence stat. Intelligence increases your magic damage. Int stat is also a major requirement for you to equip staves and crystal orbs. Staves are what we have currently right? But do you know what a crystal orb is?"
She shook her head.
I opened my inventory. Then materialized an orb that shines dimly white. Materialize function can only be used outside dungeons and PVP scenarios so you cannot materialize a different weapon mid-fight in PVP. You also cannot use it in grinding combat scenarios when there is an enemy (a wolf for example) that is aggroed to you.
She looked at the crystal orb with awe. I can't blame her, it does have a good visual effect even though it is just for early levels.
"This is a crystal orb, you could equip it to a staff if you have the required stats and mastery needed. Once equipped, you can cast the skills that the orb has." I equipped the orb to the slot my newbie staff has.
It fit perfectly in the circular end of the staff where to orb is meant to be placed.
"Now I can do this." I pointed the staff at her, and after channeling for a bit, "'Heal". I spoke softly.
A dim white light enveloped Clarissa. Healing her hp back to full.
"Huh! I feel refreshed!" She said with amazement.
Clarissa
Hp:100%
"This orb lets me use the skill heal, as long as I have the mana required for it. Orbs are categorized into different elements, for example, red lets you cast fire-based spells while blue lets you can ice-based ones, and so on. There are also dual orbs which is a combination of 2 elements, but that's not important for now."
"Can I cast a fireball if I have a red orb?" She said expectantly.
"Of course, it is its main function after all. Do you want to specialize in spellcasting?" I asked.
"Yeah! I saw a movie once about a strong mage with my brother. The mage looked so cool!" She said excitedly.....How adorable.
"I see....." I tried my best to not fawn over her.
"Then I suggest you allocate your stay points to intelligence then. I'll help you buy an orb later with our loot from grinding." I continued.
Mages generally don't put themselves in danger so it's better for new players like her. It's kind of a bad party setup since I'm going for a spell caste role myself but it doesn't matter that much since I could always act as a dodge tank for our party.
"Those three main stats are often called the Trinity stats since they are required to equip weapons. Most weapons require a mix of strength and dex but there are also exceptions. One example is a battle staff who needs mainly int with a bit of strength and dex."
"Lastly are the Vitality and Wisdom stat. Vitality increases your HP stat while Wisdom increases your MP stat, it is not as complex as the other 3 stats. I suggest that you increase your HP first though so you don't get 1 shot by mobs. Having higher hp makes it so that you could have more room for making mistakes since you don't die easily as much." I reasoned.
"Uh-huh."
Her focus seems to shift from me to some of the players passing by to grind mobs. Her focus is dwindling, it would be hard to continue giving her lessons. I wanted to teach her proficiencies next but I guess I'll save it for another time.
"Okay, that's it for now, want to go back to grinding?" I suggested.
"Sure!" She said giddily.
She seems to enjoy killing mobs. Maybe it's because she finds it rewarding? I let her kill the wolves and slimes on her own so that she would improve naturally and only interject in crucial moments whenever she is surrounded or when she runs out of stamina due to having little experience in stamina management.
For me, grinding is like a chore since it doesn't pose even a bit of a challenge and I find NPC mobs quite frankly, very boring. Good thing I had made a party with her since it's quite enjoyable seeing her learn and enjoy the game or I'd die of boredom mindlessly grinding solo.
----------------------------------------
-Elizabeth's POV-
Guys, I'll also be playing a lot of team-ranked matches today. I'm practicing for the upcoming under-20 tournament our team will be joining."
I looked at the in-game VR streaming platform window that CoA has built for players. 1358 viewers today? That's a lot considering my average views are only about 800 viewers. Taking into account CoA's popularity, it's pretty low compared to the other well-known CoA streamers that have tens of thousands of regular viewers. And especially incomparable to team Atelier, which is the most popular streamer group in the entire CoA with more than hundreds of thousands of regular viewers.
BillSmith: my team will be joining the u20 tourney too! I hope we could both pass the elimination round
Simpguy99: I always loved watching you play, your movements are so graceful and captivating!
im12btwxoxo: If you win 5x in a row in 1v1 ranked, ill donate using my dad's credit card!
Anna124: who will be your teammates for the tourney?
HardcoreViewer: will Photon also join?
HardRock69: show bobs plss
.......Honestly, every now and then, there is always someone who comments perverted things like that, if I leave them alone others will follow suit so I should be firm here.
"HardRock69 in case you're new here, I'll repeat myself, this is a no sexual harassment stream, that's strike 1, I'll ban you if this continues."
HardRock69: @Lizbeth sorry ma'am it's just a joke! it won't happen again please don't ban me!
DiligentChad: ban him now!
Simpguy99: @HardRock69 don't talk to our princess like that!
HardcoreViewer: Perma ban him now lol
im12btwxoxo: kekl
Anna124: hahaha what a pervert
BillSmith: @HardRock69 KEEEP. MY. FAVORITE. STREAMER'S NAME. OUT. OF. YOUR. FUC**** MOUTH! or ill slap the sh** out of you.
I sigh.
"And to answer some of your questions, I'll be having two new teammates since my usual teammates FairyDust and Photon is over 20 years old and cannot participate. Renz will still be joining me though along with 2 new teammates who I'm sure will surprise you guys with their skills! It'll be a secret on who the other 2 are for now so stay tuned on my stream for the reveal of the 2 new members." I explained excitedly.
Just as I was hyping my new team up, a ping entered my field of vision.
Player 'Photon' invited you to a PVP lobby, do you wish to accept? Yes / No
"Guys, we will be playing team-ranked matches now, I won't be able to reply that much mid-PVP fight but I'll do so in between breaks."
*zffff
I teleported into the usual party lobby, a somewhat comfortable victorian style luxury round table, I saw Renz and Photon already in the party lobby. Photon is dressed in a sleek semi-futuristic knight set with a modern helmet covering his head. His weapon of choice is a sword and a large shield, suitable for a hybrid DPS tank. He's one of our guild mates and a close friend of my cousin, the last person we are waiting for.
Renz on the other hand prefers the lance weapon for its long reach along with his medieval knight armor. His avatar has a very homely face with blonde hair that makes him look like a cute prince from the historical era. Though I wouldn't call him cute to his face since he has developed a complex due to our classmates back in high school making fun of him about being too cute for a boy. Looking at him thinking hard in a corner though, he seems to be troubled.
"What's up with him?" I asked Photon
"I don't know, but I heard him mumbling about his sister," Photon replied.
"I.... see."
I don't get it either too but lately, we have been practicing hard in preparation for the tournament. Maybe the reason why he's down is because he cannot spend much time with his sister? He was always so attached to his sister even back then when we were in high school. But I can't let this go, it'll cause trouble for the team morale if he gets mopey like that. As the team captain, my teammate's mental state is part of my responsibility too.
"Uhmm, Renz. Is there something on your mind?" I approached him
"Ohh Liz you're here, It's just...... I was thinking about my sister.
"Why, what happened?" I ask with a hint of worry.
"When I asked her to watch a movie with me yesterday, she said she has to meet someone in VR." He said begrudgingly.
"That's..... pretty normal, right?"
"No, it's not! She seems happier these past few days and is always excited to meet this person! And when I pry about it she suddenly becomes very secretive and forcibly changes the subject! Do you think she's meeting a boy? Is she VR online dating? she's too young for that!" he panicked.
I'm pretty sure she's just 2 years younger than him, but I kept it to myself. No use in making him more agitated.
"C-calm down, I'm sure you're overthinking things, she's probably just having a chat with her high school friends on VR."
".......You're probably right" he sighed. "Maybe I am just overthinking it. Thanks, Lizbeth, I'm grateful to have someone to share my problems with." He said with a smile.
"You're always welcome, it's my job as your team captain after all. Let us focus on our practice matches shall we?"
zffff*
Suddenly, a silvered-haired woman teleported into the lobby. She is wearing modern elven priestess clothing that you would see in your average fantasy games. Along with her beautiful mature looks and elven fashion, she looks just like a regal elf you commonly see in the movies.
"Sorry, I'm late! Did some errands on my way home." She said apologetically.
FairyDust our last member arrived. She's the oldest of our group and also a healer-type support player. She is my cousin and was supposed to be our captain and also the guild leader of Concord of Heroes, but lately, she's busy with her work and other stuff so she relegated the position to me. She helps me from time to time though in managing our guild members which I appreciate from her.
"Looks like everyone's already here! Shall we start then?" she suggested
------------------------------------
"5 wins and only 2 loses! Looks like we're improving! Especially you Lizbeth I see you're working hard for the upcoming tournament." My cousin applauded.
"Yeah, I have to improve to not fall behind my team," I replied with conviction
"Oh, if they're really that good, Renz will only drag your team down! you better replace him now before he chokes in important matches" she joked
"Hey, I can hold my own too you know, I'm just as good as Lizbeth!" he bantered
"Hahahaha, welp I gotta go sleep, imma need to get up early tomorrow for some errands."
"Me, too, I'm quite hungry we've been playing all night. Ggwp guys." Photon added
"Yep good games." Renz waved goodbye
After they're all gone, I look up my stream window in preparation to sign off. 829 viewers huh, still high enough considering the time.
"Guys I won't be streaming tomorrow since I'll be going to a friend's house to watch the match between team Nexus Gaming and team Atelier."
HardcoreViewer: oh im also gonna watch it tomorrow! im pretty hype for it. Masamune FTW!
GigaMaster: aww why not, i wanted to watch your stream on weekends
Underminer092: have a good time with your friend.
Anne111: cant you just stream instead
SimpGuy99: What am I gonna do tomorrow without you brightening up my day?
"I'll stream the day after though so don't worry, also thanks as always for watching my stream. See ya guys!"
I waved goodbye and then logged off the game. After Eating some light snacks I brushed my teeth and then lay on my bed.
I took a look at my phone and checked the time. 10:21, it's this late already? After checking my messages, mostly from Lenna, group chats, and some of my friends, I put my phone on the table beside my bed. While excitedly thinking about meeting my friends tomorrow, I gradually succumbed to dreamland. |
Novo
Hp: 100%
Mp: 52%
Lvl: 9
Guild: none
Duel wr: N / A
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:***********
Introduction: This player has no introduction
CoA has no job system like other games. Your stats build and the weapons you equip determine your playstyle. Wand or staff users on the other hand can cast spells but the most potent spells require channeling so caster types need to be guarded. They also tend to be very squishy since they spend the majority of their stat points in mp and int rather than HP making them terrible for 1v1 situations. I'm aiming for a hybrid support that can dish out a bit of damage in melee combat which is why building MP for heals, strength and dex for melee damage, and stamina for longer movements is my main priority.
It means I will be extremely squishy with low hp since I will not be putting much on vitality, just the bare minimum necessary, but I probably can manage with my dodging skills. They don't call me 'the Untouchable' for nothing.
As I was pondering my stats build while mindlessly grinding the beginner area of wolves and slimes, I heard a commotion.
"Please leave me alone!" a female voice cried
"Come on just accept the duel and ill go away after that!" Another voice said
I immediately identified the man
Gurand
Hp: 91%
Mp: 84%
Lvl: 21
Guild: none
Duel wr: 100%
Wins: 27
Matches: 27
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:***********
Introduction: Add me and ill carry you. I'm a PVP veteran here in CoA
I see, judging by his win rate and the fact that he is camping on newbie grounds far below his level, he's farming duel win rate just for bragging rights. He also looks like your typical bully and probably is a smurf who only fights low leveled players. Well, I'm not one to talk since I'm also using a smurf account but still!
He already has a purple-tier knight set and purple-tier knight sword which can be acquired from the main quest. His weapon set is one of the best early on in the game. So it will be impossible to beat him in a duel if you're new to the game based on stats alone.
Frankly, I don't have time to help others, I'm just gonna focus on leveling and leave them to their own business.
"I, I don't want to! I'm not good at fighting." the girl shakily replied
I took a look at where the cute voice came from and I was flabbergasted. She looks about a year younger than me if her avatar is the same as her real-life features. Golden blonde hair reaching her neck with a perfect angelic face plus a petite body covered by a beginner's coat for newbie mages, and to top it all off her demeanor exudes cuteness. I think I can understand now why girls like to hug each other cause right now, I want to hug and protect her at this very moment.
What do you mean hypocrite? It is a good virtue to help your fellow newbie players you know? If we don't support the new players, the CoA community's player base will go downhill. New players are the future of CoA.
I went to mediate
"Excuse me, sir, if you don't mind, you can just duel me instead. But promise me you'll leave her alone after the fight," I said politely
I said that, but after I kill him in a duel, he will have no choice but to go back to his respawn point.
"Huh, a level 9? Sure, sure, I promise I'll leave her alone if you fight me hehehehe." He laughed creepily.
"W-wait please, if you die here in the game, you'll get hurt, please don't mind me!" The girl pleaded
Hearing her worry for me, my cuteness sensor meter just went over 9 thousand.
"Don't worry about me, it doesn't even hurt that much," I assured her
It really doesn't, maybe she isn't just used to VR games. Usually, in the pain receptors settings, 10% of the pain is the max output you can increase it to. There is an option to turn it off so you completely don't feel anything but almost nobody does that. The main reason being is that players want full immersion in playing CoA. Another reason is so that competitive players could react better when getting hit so they can pinpoint the exact location where an arrow (for example) came from if it is a ranged attack and react faster due to adrenaline rush if it is melee combat. That is also the reason why most PVP rankers max the pain receptors in the setting.
The mental shock of dying in a virtual game is probably what also gets her since CoA is very realistic. That is why there are terms and conditions warning players of those. I'll be sure to instruct her on how to minimize the pain receptors later.
"I challenge you to a duel," Gurand said while looking at me, distracting me from my thoughts.
*Player 'Gurand' has challenged you to a death match duel, would you like to accept? Y / N
"Accept it fast!" he ordered impatiently.
".......Yes I accept" I replied.
Suddenly, there appeared a semi-invisible circle on the ground encasing us. Only the two of us can see it, and if you happen to exit the area then it is considered a loss and instant death since he opted for a deathmatch duel.
3.....
2
.....
1.....
Duel!
Gurand
Hp: 100%
His outline suddenly turned red, meaning I can now deal damage to him and in turn, he is now able to deal damage to me without triggering player kill (pk) mode and all its repercussions.
"This is gonna be easy hehehehe!" He laughed maniacally.
"Yes, I completely agree," I replied.
He proceeded to rush to me in an attempt to swing his knights sword. I hit him in the head before he even swung.
whack*
"Gahh!" he growled
Gurand
Hp: 93%
"Your wind-up is too slow, it'll work against new players but more experienced ones will punish you for that mistake." I berated him.
"S-shut up!" He shouted, clearly fuming.
He attempted to do a 'quick' thrust but his lack of mastery shows. His thrust was way off the mark. It was way far off that I didn't even have to sidestep to dodge it. moved my body a little and countered with a quick neck thrust with my wooden staff
"Khack!" he choked
Gurand
Hp: 85%
"Practice your thrust more, you won't hit me with that kind of speed and accuracy."
He's pretty tanky due to the level and stats difference. This is gonna take a while.
---------------------------------------
"Please don't! I'll do anything so please!"
Gurand
Hp: 6%
My opponent suddenly kowtowed on the ground. It took a bit of time to deplete his hp considering the stats difference but in CoA, skills are what really matters.
"I'm sorry please let's end it in a draw, I can't lose my perfect 100% win rate please!" he begged.
Player Gurand offered a draw, do you accept? Yes / No
Shit, I feel bad now, he is so pathetically weak that it's like I'm the one bullying and the roles have been reversed. Should I accept his offer?
Nope, not a chance. He needs to be taught a lesson for bullying the cute- I mean the weak.
"....You should challenge stronger players next time. Your skills won't improve if you only prey on the inexperienced."
I hit him in the head with my staff with enough force to deplete his hp, effectively killing him.
"Fuck! I won't forget this!"
That was his last death cry before he vanished into small motes of blue light.
Duel ended
You won!
The girl I just helped approached me after the duel ended. I identified her as she got near.
Clarissa
Hp: 53%
Mp: 20%
Lvl: 10
Guild: none
Duel wr: 0%
wins: 0
matches: 1
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:***********
Introduction: This player has no introduction
"T-that was amazing! You won and he didn't even hurt you once!" she exclaimed.
"Not really, he's just a bad player that's why he can't hit me."
"Ohh uhm, but you did challenge him to help me, so thank you very much."
She bowed slightly enunciating her cuteness. I need to get her picture somehow. So I can immortalize this view. I can take a picture using VR screenshot at this very moment but it would be rude without her permission. I'm not some voyeur who secretly takes photos of others, I have my dignity to uphold too you know?
"You look like you're not used to playing VR games?" I asked.
She seems like a complete beginner in VR games. She doesn't look like the type to enjoy battles, she doesn't even look like she could hurt a fly. And to top it off she even uses her (I presume) full name as her in-game name. At least use an alias or something.
"Uhm, not really, it is my first time playing a VR game but it's pretty scary playing it," she replied
"Why did you play CoA then?" I asked out of curiosity.
"CoA?" she tilted her head cutely
"Uhm I meant Champions of Andartha. We, veterans, use the term CoA to shorten it." I explained
"Ohh uhm, It's...... I want to play this game with my brother." She replied earnestly.
"Huh, what do you mean?" I pressed on
"My brother and I have always been close, but lately we rarely spend time together. He's too focused on playing this game and I always hear him talk about it. He even tells me stories about his adventures in this game and how many strong people he beat in PVP. That is why I thought if I learn how to play it, we can spend more time together." she confessed.
"I see......."
I kind of get where she is coming from. It was the same with my sister.
"Does your brother even knows you are playing CoA on your own?" I asked
CoA is a very challenging game for VR standards. Especially so if this girl has no experience in playing any VR games and going solo. She won't last a week by herself and quit the game with the number of deaths she is gonna rack up.
"N-not yet. I wanted to surprise him by trying the game myself first. Besides, I can't bother him right now. He is busy practicing for a tournament with his teammates and I have never seen him this focused and determined on a goal. If he knows I'm playing he would likely prioritize teaching me over his practice. I'll tell him after his tournament is over."
That would most likely happen. I mean would ignore such a cute sister?
"I guess it can't be helped then, I will always be online during this time of the day, if you want I can help you level up and teach you to play?" I offered
"R-really you'd do that for me? But won't I be a bother?"
"No, you won't. You should stop being too considerate of others and prioritize yourself more. Besides, we're in the same level range after all so you're helping me level too."
And it helps heal my soul too on top of it all. Like 2 birds with 1 stone.
"Thank you very much! Is.... is there any way I can repay you for helping me?"
She asked with such purity and innocence that it made my heart skip a beat. That was dangerous!
"I....... could I take a picture of you?"
"S-sure, but may I ask what is it for?" she asked hesitantly.
Shit. I just blurted out my deepest thoughts. I have to salvage this somehow.
"No, it's to um.... er.... so that I could place a picture in the friend list contact next to your profile after we add each other. So that I won't mix up the contacts since I have so many." I lied.
Who am I kidding, I have exactly 0 friends on my friend list right now. How depressing.
"Ohh if it's just that then sure!" She beamed at me which made me instinctively hold out my nose.
I don't know if online avatars could have a nosebleed, but I'm not taking any risk to find out.
"Y-yeah thanks, but before that, let me add you to my friend list first".
I focused on her which prompted her information feature to show up in front of me. Then I tapped the 'Add Friend' button. She looked at some notification screen that popped out of nowhere, probably the friend request I made then she tapped on it.
You added 'Clarissa' to your friend list.
Finally made my first friend on this account! Someone so cute and kind at that. I would consider this a huge accomplishment in my books.
After taking a picture of her while doing my best not to fawn over her cuteness, we spend most of the time grinding and me showing her the ropes. Then we finally part ways with a promise to meet again tomorrow.
---------------------------------------
The trees sway in the summer winds. I am currently in the school courtyard, a somewhat popular spot for the relaxation of students. I was sitting in a fairly large bench that can accommodate up to 3 people while overseeing the courtyard. as for why I'm here, it is close to the building of my next class.
I'm waiting for my next subject which will start in about 20 min.
looking at my surroundings, I hear college students talk about different things, minding their own circles. Some talk boisterously loud while others laugh uncontrollably at jokes that I didn't get to hear. Others for the most part just listen to the ramblings of their friend. Most have accustomed to the new semester in just a few days. Almost all have cliques of their own save for a few, including me. How depressing.
Just as I was having my thoughts I heard a familiar voice.
"Kat!" Said a cheerful voice.
I looked at the source and what greeted me was Liz along with Lenna standing next to her.
"You alone here? Are you waiting for someone?" She asked curiously.
That question hit me like a truck. I know I'm not good at socializing but you don't have to rub it in! I know she was just being polite in case I did have a friend and doesn't want to be bothered but still!
"She just left earlier, feel free to sit," I told a white lie to make it not look like I'm a loner.
Well, it wasn't technically a lie, some random girl was sitting here before and she did leave earlier. I just omitted the fact that we do not even know each other and haven't had any interaction whatsoever besides me asking if I could sit here and her nodding.
"Ohh good, you look like you're in your own world and I don't want to be a bother so I'm glad." She smiled in relief.
Do I really look that unapproachable?
Liz sat directly in the middle with Lenna following suit after we had a nod of acknowledgment from each other.
The bench was a great fit for the three of us. Having two people in it that I DO know and was quite fond of makes me a bit comfortable in these semi-crowded places.
"The other guys not with you two?" I asked just to start a topic.
"Rommel and Liz are having a fight." Lenna suddenly drops a bombshell out of the blue while giving me a conniving smile.
"What! What happened?" I asked with a mix of curiosity and worry.
"We are not having a fight!" Liz vehemently denied it.
"It's just that Rommel invited me to join his team with Beny and Reynolds for the under-20 tournament and I declined since I am also planning to make my very own team." She continued.
"And Rommel took it personally, saying that he will beat whatever team she makes," Lenna added cheerily
"Yeah, that guy hates losing. That is why he barred me from their 'secret team strategy meeting' saying that we might face each other on the elimination and that I could find out their weakness if I listen to them." She said wearily.
Huh, I can relate to that. I was the same back then. The thought of losing infuriates me. I want to prove that I'm the best to my sister and that she can always rely on me. That is why I spent all my time outside school practicing hard, resulting in me not having a social life outside CoA. How depressing.
"Ohh" Liz continued. "And don't worry about them recruiting you, I already said you're a part of my team. You should've seen the look on their faces when they heard that," She giggled.
"Well, it IS their fault for being too slow to talk to Katherine," Lenna added.
We spent the time talking about nonsensical stuff, mainly gossip that Lenna shares with us both about different students(mostly first years) that I didn't know but pretended that I do. It was quite enjoyable listening to the gossip though and time went by quickly until our conversation ended when I needed to go to my next class. |
As we both agreed upon, June paid for our time at the VR cafe. He even wants to recruit Katherine in their team but I profusely declined for her. I don't want to become a catalyst for Katherine joining their team since those guys usually go to different VR cafes for betting matches and I don't want her to become addicted in gambling. Now though, we are currently having an after-party celebration for our win.
"Cheers!"
"Yeah!"
"Wohoo!"
"Great job guys!"
We are sitting in a moderately large square table in a cafe/bar found inside the building of the VR cafe. This part of the building is like a hub for players who wants to take a break at gaming and relax for a bit. There is a very large television that is streaming games on the middle of the establishment connected to the bar side. I was seated in the middle with Katherine to my left side sitting next to the window corner and my best friend Lenna to my right side. On the other side of the rectangular table is Romel sitting on the middle, Benny sitting on the window side and Raynold sitting in front of Lenna. Each of us has his or her own order of pastry or food except for Katherine.
"Didn't expect there to be a literal cafe here inside this VR cafe building." Katherine mused
"This area is mainly for costumers of the VR cafe to relax, eat some good food or take a break from VR gaming." I supplied.
Katherine is relaxedly taking a sip of her coffee while the others are talking about our recent game with Romel mostly bragging loudly.
"Are you sure don't you want to order any sweets?" I asked.
I said it was my treat at the cafe since I'm the one who invited her in the first place but she insisted to pay for herself.
"Yes, I'm sure, I'm not too fond of sweets." she replied coolly.
So mature. She really gives this air of a dependable and cool adult. Very humble too. She is probably as good as me or even better but she still doesn't brag about her CoA skills. Not like someone I know.
"I almost killed him solo without any help! And because of me, he is severely weakened so my teammates could finish him off!" Romel bragged.
"If you had to choose a MVP in that match, that would surely be me!" he added.
"We didn't do much though......" Beny shyly butted in.
"It is only you who didn't do anything, I Almost killed their ace. If my single slash just connected back then he would've died instantly. He just has the advantage in gears but I'm more skilled than him!" Romel exclaimed.
"Hmph! We both watched the whole match and you two didn't do anything, right Ray?" Lenna argued.
"They didn't seem to do much but every little thing counts in a match so I wouldn't cut out their contributions to the team." Raynold said neutrally.
"You guys just cannot comprehend the complexity of the plays I've done!" Romel exclaimed.
"Please don't mind him Katherine, He has a medical condition that makes all of the words that comes right out of his mouth seem obnoxious." I sighed.
"I don't mind, he actually seems kind of fun to be around." Katherine replied.
Are we even talking about the same person? While I was pondering, I took a bite out of my strawberry cake. On the edge of my sight, I notice Katherine looking intently at the strawberry cake.
Does she want a bite or two? Probably not, she said she doesn't like sweets.
"By the way miss Katherine, where did you learn to play like that? Your movements are so good that I thought I was watching an amateur pro player." Raynold addressed the elephant in the room.
All eyes fell on Katherine, likely eager to know the reason too for her aberrance. At least control your curiosity guys! Look at her, you guys are making her flustered.
"Ohh I...... I just played a lot of VR single player games so I had a lot of training." She answered slowly.
I kind of doubt that though, since there is no single player games that I heard had as complex skills required for its gameplay like CoA does. Map awareness, stamina management, dodging, parrying, and aerial combos, are just a few examples of its complexity that no other games have integrated in their games. Though I might be wrong since there may have been new VR game releases I'm not privy to so I didn't push the subject.
All of the others were convinced by her reasoning, except for Raynold who probably had the same conclusion as mine.
Just as Raynold was going to ask another question, there was a sudden commotion among the other customers inside the cafe. I tried to find the cause and I saw that they are all looking at the tv screen of the cafe/bar. Watching it for a few seconds, I instantly knew what the commotion was about.
"Look at the screen, team Razor Gaming is having a press conference."
"Ohh they're interviewing Zetta? He's your idol, right?"
"That's Zetta 'the Duelist'?"
"Many players claim that he is unbeatable in 1v1!"
"Shhh, I can't hear what they're saying."
"It's just a replay though I watched it live."
"My dream is to beat him in a 1v1 match someday."
Die-hard fans of the pro scene in the tables surrounding us made an uproar, talking animatedly with each other.
It was a replay of the post-game press conference of team Razor Gaming for their yesterday's win. The captain and ace of team RG (Razor Gaming), Sebastian Guillaume (aka Zetta) is shown on screen.
The commotion died down a bit when the press starts asking their questions.
"Mr. Sebastian, what is your take about your team's comeback from a 1 player deficit with a spectacular 2v3 in game 3 of your match against team Eclipse?" A reporter said.
"The other team put all their resources into eliminating our 2 supports so Flamboyant and I capitalized on their lack of MP and HP to play aggressively and not let them recover." Zetta answered confidently.
I took a glimpse at Katherine and noticed that she seems to be deep in thought. I've already watched it but Katherine seems entirely focused on the screen making me wonder if it is the first time she watched a press-con of a CoA pro league.
"Mr. Guillaume, many people are wondering, who do you think in the current pro league can give you the hardest challenge in a 1v1 match?" another reporter said.
"Right now, I think team Royals's ace Arthur and probably team Shaolin's ace Yang can give me a good fight."
"Do you think that you will be the first ever player in history of CoA to have 2 Andartha cup belts under your name?" A reporter asked.
In the past 3 years since the first ever Andartha cup, no one has ever achieved the feat of being the champion for the second time so fans of the game would kill to see one in hopes of putting them on a pedestal and worshiping that player like a god. Fans are weird like that I suppose but I'm no different, I also want Zetta or one of the former team Paragon members to have a repeat win since I'm a big fan of them.
The closest currently was Zetta who won with team Paragon on the first Andartha Cup or AC for short. His new team got only 5th place in the second AC due to the sudden disbandment of the team Paragon due to their ace player 'Yuusha', who also has been my inspiration to start playing the game, suddenly quit CoA. His third chance at AC cup was the closest to anyone ever having a repeat champion with him joining Razor Gaming (a well know e-sports organization with many different teams in different games) and placing 2nd, just barely winning the whole tournament. That is why all eyes are on him to win the 4th Andartha Cup that will be held this November.
"We can never know what the future holds. All I know is that my team and I are going to do everything we can to bring home the crown for our fans and supporters!" Zetta passionately said.
Even though I heard it already yesterday, that statement really does gives me the 'chills'. It makes me want to support him more.
"Speaking of team, your former team mate Tactical from team Nexus Gaming might be relegated to division 2 if they lose their match next week. What are your thoughts on that?"
Tactical is the former captain of team 'Paragons' who is currently playing for team NG and also Zetta's former teammate. It breaks my heart seeing all the backlash that they receive from player base just because they keep losing their games this season.
"As Tactical's former teammate, I hope they get out of the slump their team is currently experiencing right now. But as a fellow player on the pro scene, I will not show any mercy if we face each other in CoA." Zetta said with determination.
"Tactical is getting relegated?" Katherine suddenly asked
Her sudden interest surprised me. Is she a fan of Tactical by any chance? But if she were, she would know their concurrent sub-par performance this pro league season.
"Sadly yes, they haven't been playing well since the start of the season."
"When is his team playing next? I want to see it." she inquired.
"I think their match against team Atelier is on this weekend. Oh! wanna watch it together?" I subconsciously blurted.
"S-sorry, I'm not being a bother, right? People keep telling me I get overly friendly sometimes." I added.
I can't help it. I get overly enthusiastic from time to time and things just come right out of my mouth unfiltered. Especially if it is CoA related. She might think I'm too overbearing.
"....... Sure, lets watch it together."
"Really! it's a promise, right? No backing out in the last moment?" I smiled.
"Hoo? What is this I'm hearing, are you two going out on a date or something." Lenna playfully teased.
"Ohh Lenna, we're just going to watch team Nexus vs team Atelier's match this weekend." I informed her.
"Ohh I wanna join, lets watch it on Katherine's home? I wanna see where you live! and maybe we could have a sleepover?" Lenna asked hopefully.
After hesitating for a bit, Katherine replied. "I'm only renting an apartment so there is nothing much to see. I'm also fine with just watching the match, but no sleepovers."
"Tsk You're no fun" Lenna pouted.
"Can we join in too, miss Katherine?" Raynold butted in.
"Sorry boys, it's a girls only bonding session." Lenna mischievously said.
"I agree, two is too much already, my apartment is not that big to accommodate more people." Katherine added.
"Humph, we don't need you girls! We will just have our own boys only session." Romel added.
The conversation continued like that for a while, and then we eventually went home.
_______________________________________
Haaahh, I'm tired, socializing is tiring. We did win the match though so it is a bit fun and rewarding. I thought to myself as I approached the apartment complex I was currently residing. The ever so kind looking middle aged guard greeted me again with the common pleasantries as I entered. I bobbed my head in acknowledgement, too tired to make small talk but not enough to forgo all of my manners. I entered the elevator along with 3 tenants who probably just got out of their work too and pushed the 8th floor button.
I immediately got out of the elevator after it stopped on the floor of my apartment. I pulled out my phone from my bag then positioned it beside the lock. The lock opened after a second, signifying that I was indeed a tenant of this exact room. The key could be in a form of a card or if you're the old antique lover, a physical key, but I chose the phone type key since it is with me all the time.
I opened the door and I was greeted by the lights turning on, ac activating, and a vibrant soothing music playing as I entered. I went to the kitchen as soon as I can, ready to prepare some food. I didn't have quite the appetite earlier so I didn't order any food. Besides, only ordering coffee would make me look mature and cool, I could only hope that it has achieved it's intended effect or all of that posturing was for nothing.
I saw the usual bacon and eggs in the freezer so I already know what to cook. Not like I know how to cook any complex food anyways. How depressing.
After I ate, I put my kitchen utensils and plate in the sink. I noticed I also haven't washed the dishes and utensils I used earlier this morning.
"Well, I better get started, the dishes won't clean themselves" I sighed.
After all of my 'hard work', I went to the bath to take a shower and relax for a bit and let the thoughts run through my mind.
I dried my body after taking a shower, taking a bit longer in blowdrying my hair.
Thinking back to the events of today, it seems like I do miss playing CoA. I guess you can never part with something you really love that easily. I have to thank Elizabeth for giving me the slight push I need.
"Maybe I can...."
With renewed motivation, I went into my room and got changed into my nightwear. At the corner of the fairly large room is the VR pod I use in playing my single player VR games. The nerve gear is an outdated model compared to the ones on the VR cafe but still serves its purpose well enough.
I put on the gear and opened Champions of Andartha. I haven't played it for a while so there was a large update. Thankfully the Fiber Optic Internet connection nowadays is very swift and stable. It only took seconds to update gigabytes worth of data. After the update, I then logged into my...... no that's not right...... our account.
ign: Yuusha
My sister's legacy. I saw her face, an exact 3d replica of her features right in front of me, staring back emotionless. She never did take the advice I gave her to not use the facial scan when creating her character.
*Warning: mental and emotional state fluctuating player is advised to take a break.
*
My heart suddenly dropped, I felt immense sadness deep down in my mind. I tried to force it out but memories keep flooding like a broken dam. Memories of my sister, my best friend, the most important person to me. The undeniable truth that she is no longer of this world and that I will never be able to see nor talk to her again. The thought of it all keeps gnawing me inside out.
*Warning: emotional state: Red
Mental state: Red
Initiating forced log out.*
I went back to the real world.
"Haaaah, Haaah, Haah!" I breathed heavily
I dry heaved as if my life depended on it. I removed the nerve gear I was wearing when suddenly, I felt water dropping down my clothes. I noticed that my tears were overflowing, I tried to wipe it but more just keep coming. I felt nauseous, I immediately got off the VR pod and rushed into my bathroom to vomit everything I had eaten earlier. I went to take my medication pills, hoping that it would relieve even the tiniest bit of the dread I'm enduring right now.
I need to get some sleep, I thought to myself.
I forced myself to lie in the bed hoping that all the pain in my heart will disappear replaced by the lull of dreamland. Hoping it will go away instantly just like waking up from a terrible nightmare, but escape never did came swiftly. I cried myself to sleep that night. |
I saw an angel standing alone under the shade of an oak tree a little further away from the entrance of the crowded dungeon. A dungeon cave that leads to the next town with many players camping at the entrance in hopes of finding the same leveled party members to help them in defeating the boss. The boss is a little bit difficult since it can be considered an initiation for newbies to earn their right to become intermediate players of CoA.
I identified said angel.
Clarissa
Hp: 100%
Mp: 100%
Lvl: 28
Guild: none
Duel wr: 0%
wins: 0
matches: 1
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:**********
Introduction: I'm new to this game so please take care of me. Also, I don't like duels so don't invite me to a PVP match, please!
"Sorry, I'm late! Have you been waiting long? "I asked apologetically.
"No, it's ok, I just got here," Clarissa replied
What's with this setting? And what's with that reply, is this some kind of a date?! No no no we're just going to a dungeon to do main quests and level up, nothing to be gung-ho about.
Entertaining guests at my apartment took a lot longer than expected especially with Lenna pestering me for a sleepover so I'm a little late at our agreed time. I can't just shoo them away and say I'm going to meet someone, that would be rude. We had a good time though and watching a match as good as that renewed my motivation to play and improve my skills.
"Then let's go to the entrance. This dungeon will be a little harder than usual so stay close to me at all times." I suggested.
As we approached the hustle and bustle of the entrance to the dungeon, the noise of the players became louder. There are many players today, especially so since it's a weekend.
"Need healer please add me"
"Any healer here?"
"Need tank!"
"Need only 1 more support!"
Honestly, all the newbies want to become DPS which is why we always lack healers or other support in this area. Though I can't really judge them since I was a DPS myself.
As we were nearing the entrance, 2 men approached us. One was wearing a newbie knight set with a sword on his left plus a round silver shield on his right and a helmet covering his entire face. He has a stoic posture and a serious atmosphere around him.
You could only equip 1 weapon as your main one, giving you the option to use its weapon skill so he probably has a shield weapon skill which is why his shield is equipped in his right arm, or I could be wrong and he is just left-handed. Some dual-handed weapons are considered as one main weapon though like dual daggers and such so it is counted as a single main weapon but let's get back into sizing up these guys.
The other guy was wearing casual newbie traveler's clothing and a scimitar attached to his belt. He has handsome rugged features and a demeanor full of confidence. I immediately thought that he was too artificially handsome. He probably fiddled a lot with the character avatar customization. I identified them both.
Hecct
Hp: 100%
Mp: 100
Lvl: 32
Guild: Round Table
Duel wr: Hidden
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: Hidden
id#:***********
Introduction: This player has no introduction.
Xeno
Hp: 100%
Mp: 100
Lvl: 30
Guild: none
Duel wr: Hidden
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N /A
id#:***********
Introduction: Any female players can add me anytime ;)
"Hello ladies, looks like you two could use some help. How about you two join our party and we'll carry you? I promise I'll protect you girls from any harm." Xeno said confidently then winked.
I might have swooned there and then if he was cute. But he's not really my type. So I crossed my arms and remained unimpressed while Clarissa hides behind me clearly wary of the man's straightforwardness. Good, she should be always on her guard against these kinds of people. She's amazingly cute so a lot of strangers may suddenly approach her with ill intentions.
His friend suddenly butted in when he realized we were cautious of them both.
"Forgive me for my friend's rudeness but you two seem to lack party members and we also lack support players. May I ask that we form a party to help each other out?" Hecct asked politely.
"I'm not a support though."Clarissa chimed from behind me.
That is right, she's a pure DPS-oriented fire mage. I suggested that she focus on increasing her int stats and mp so that I could just aggro the monsters while she dishes out most of the damage for our party. That is the most efficient build for our party since I'm already a healer and can act as a dodge tank.
"But you're a DPS mage and your friend is a support healer is she not?" he rebutted.
Clarissa just nodded silently. He must've known our role judging by the color of our staff orbs.
"Then it would be perfectly fine. So would you please join our party?" he pleaded.
I deliberated if we should join or not. We don't really need their help in finishing this dungeon, heck I could even do it solo. But it would not do any good for Clarissa to be overly reliant on me. She needs to meet different kinds of people in-game, both rivals and party mates for her own personal growth. Also, one of the best parts of playing VR games is meeting new kinds of people you both share the same hobbies with and I want her to experience it fully.
After pondering for a moment, I conceded.
"....Fine we'll join, but the loot should be evenly distributed."
"Of course. My party loot is already set to be evenly distributed to party members regardless of who gets the last hit or has the most DPS." Hecct explained.
After a brief introduction and Hecct cementing our battle positions, we headed for the dungeon.
In CoA, dungeons are only available for at most a party of 4 people. Upon entering a dungeon stage, you teleport to a new dungeon instance, meaning only 4 players may exist in the specified dungeon no matter how many enter said dungeon. Other parties that enter the same dungeon as you at the exact same time are separated into another instance of a dungeon that is generated specifically for them.
Upon entering the dungeon we were teleported to the inside of a limestone cave. The ceilings are full of stalactites with an alluring blue-green glow while the ground is littered with stalagmites of the same color.
"Beautiful" Clarissa murmured
"It is, but we're not here on a picnic so keep your guard up. There are monsters everywhere." Our impromptu leader Hecct reminded us.
He charged forward leaving us behind with Xeno.
"Is it ok for him to go ahead on his own?" Clarissa anxiously asked.
"Don't worry, he's actually a veteran player, I'm pretty sure he can even solo this dungeon if he wants. He just wants to help new players like you who don't seem to have a front-liner. What a softy right?" Xeno informed us.
Our battle plan was that he will first check the area ahead of us and aggro all the monsters he could. He proposed that the two of us stay back and focus on monsters that get past him while Xeno protects us. Quite a bold battle plan but if he really is skilled, I'm sure he can pull it off. It also means I don't have to do much so it works well for me too.
"How many times have you tried this dungeon?" Xeno asked
"It's only our first time" I replied.
"Really? Well, then it's your lucky day! We will save you two the hassle of dying a bunch of times in this dungeon." he bragged.
He's pretty laid back and relaxed for someone going dungeon diving, he must really trust his friend's skills or he might even be a veteran player himself.
as Xeno was conversing with us, A group of goblins approached our front liner Hecct. There are only 3 of them but will be hard for a newbie to defeat all three at them at once.
He rushed forward without any caution. He did a quick precise stab at the head of the 1st goblin, killing it instantly then he blocked the 2nd goblin's attack with his shield while simultaneously slashing the neck of the 3rd goblin which instantly killed it. That leaves the 2nd goblin which he also killed instantly by stabbing its head. All of his attacks are quick headshots, he's pretty skilled and experienced to be able to pull that off.
"Whoa he's so fast, I can barely follow his sword," Clarissa said with awe.
Is it just me, or are his eyes glowing red while slaughtering those goblins? Is that a cosmetic item or does he have a thing for goblins that his eyes glow even when we can't see his face through that helmet?
"Told ya he can handle his own!" Xeno stated proudly.
The dungeon run continued just like that with Hecct leading ahead of us and Xeno leisurely chatting with us. Only 2 to 3 goblins or a single hobgoblin at most got past him and was easily defeated by Clarissa with a fireball or two. Xeno and I haven't even done anything. With the way the dungeon run is currently going, I doubt we even need to do any work.
That's fine I guess, it means I can just leisurely appreciate the sights of the cave and let Hecct do all the heavy lifting.
My leisure walk did not last long however when a group of 5 goblins and 3 hobgoblins in our front blew a horn. Then after a couple of seconds, a sudden crash resounded from our back. We took a look at the origin of the noise and saw an 8 feet giant ogre emerging from a destroyed wall, a giant club in its hand. With the goblins in our front and the ogre at our back, we are sandwiched.
"Shit, it's been too long since I last finished this dungeon, that I forgot about this part. I'll take care of the hobs. Xeno, stall the Ogre and buy time for me to back you guys up!" Hecct shouted
"Finally some action! You ladies just sit back and just enjoy the show. I'll give you girls a front-row seat view of why they call me, 'The Lightning Demon Slasher'." he stated smugly
Oh, he even has a moniker. Only skilled people have those from the CoA community. I was right, he's also a veteran player who is only smurfing like his friend.
He rushed to face the ogre while brandishing his scimitar then he astonishingly....... tripped and fell to the ground face-first.
"Are you okay!?" Clarissa yelped in surprise
".....Lightning demon slasher huh" I watched him unamused.
Don't hype me and just fail spectacularly like that. It was such a newbie mistake too. Focusing solely on your opponent and not paying any attention to your surroundings might be your undoing. I'll remember to use him as an example when I teach Clarissa the importance of paying attention to her surroundings when in a fight.
"Fuck! why is there a rock lying around he-!"
As he was standing up, he didn't get to finish his sentence as the ogre hit him on his side with its club full swing like a batter would a baseball. he flew far away from us and slammed into the nearby cave wall. Homerun, I guess.
Xeno
Hp: 37%
It's a good thing he survived that, I'll just heal him later after I take care of this ogre.
"What the heck are you doing Xeno!" Hecct panicked
"Stay there and aggro those goblins, I'll handle this ogre," I ordered
"Wait! I'll back you up in a bit, don't engage it!" he pleaded.
I ignored him and rushed towards the ogre. I was extra careful to look at my surroundings this time since it would be extremely humiliating if I trip and fall just like that guy lying on the wall over there.
As I approached the ogre (while not tripping of course) it swung its giant club overhead at me. Time slows by as I focused intently on its movements. I could almost fall asleep on how slow it was. I leaped away towards its side to dodge the blow since the shockwave might damage me and swung my staff full force at the back of its knees. The hit made it kneel enough for me to reach its head with a dagger for a critical hit. I pulled the dagger out of my belt and instantly used it to stab the ogre in its ear. The dagger pierced its head for a fatal blow.
Ogre
Hp:41%
"Tssk!"
Still alive huh, this guy is pretty tanky. Even though I had plenty of dex stat since I'm increasing it this early stage of the game for more efficient farming, it was still able to survive my full forced dagger thrust into its brain.
Roar*
The ogre howled. He's enraged. I took a step back in preparation for his retaliation when a fireball flew straight at his head.
"Nice shot!" I complimented Clarissa
Ogre
Hp: 5%
She waited for me to aggro the ogre while she chanted her spell. Then fired her shot at the best possible timing she can when the ogre's full attention is on me. A normal newbie won't be able to make a coordinated play like that.
Looks like all the tips and tricks I taught her weren't for naught. She's absorbing everything I'm teaching her like a sponge. She's pretty talented in her own way.
"Th-Thanks!" she replied cheerfully.
The ogre flinched from the headshot and I didn't waste a moment. I hit his body with my staff, any hit would do since he only has 5% hp. The Ogre let out a final death cry and disappeared into blue motes of red light.
"Where is the ogre?" Hecct worriedly asked
Looks like he just finished taking care of the goblins.
"We already took care of it," I replied.
"That fast?" he said in disbelief.
"Looks like the saying to not judge a book by its cover is true. Never thought both of you could kill the ogre this quickly," he added.
"Looks like I did my part in creating space for you girls to handle the ogre. All according to plan."
Xeno said as he cooly walked towards us like an action movie protagonist as if nothing had ever happened. He didn't do anything though.
"You didn't even do anything." Hecct read my thoughts.
"S-shut up! Want me to beat you again in PVP?" Xeno admonished.
"You won 1 out of 10 times, and it is only because you convinced me to fight you without any weapon." Hecct rebuked.
"Reasons! A win is still a win no matter your disadvantages. It just meant that I mentally outplayed you into giving me an advantage!" Xeno made a point.
"More like I took pity on you since you wanted a single win so badly." Hecct countered.
They continued to bicker until we arrived at a large locked door akin to a castle gate with 2 large keyholes. On its left and right are 2 paths. If I remember correctly, these two paths would lead to 2 different keys needed to open the door for the boss fight.
"The two paths would lead to 2 keys needed to open this door," Hecct explained
"I would've proposed that we stick together and acquire the keys one by one, but seeing that you girls are pretty skilled, I think we can split up here for a faster run," Hecct suggested.
"I completely agree, would you come with me, my Lady? I promise to not let any harm befall upon you and to protect you with my life." Xeno winked at me seductively.
"No, you come with me, these two have great synergy, and I wouldn't want you to mess up their combos if you went with them. Besides you're the weakest link to this party." Hecct instantly denied him.
"Tsk! I just got unlucky all because of a rock! Let me at least redeem myself and show my cool side to these girls!"
"You can do that at the boss fight later. Let's go. The faster we finish the dungeon the better the rewards."
He pulled his friend away from us and went straight to the left path. if I remember correctly, that path is annoyingly full of traps. I guess he's still helping us in any way he can, what a kind-hearted guy.
"Looks like we're on our own again. The cave is dark so there might be other ambushes from monsters. Keep your cool and don't be scared of enemies that might get close to you." I coached her.
"I'll be fine. I won't be scared if I'm with you 'cause I know you'll always protect me." she smiled at me innocently.
What the hell is with that response?! Honestly, is she doing this on purpose? Is she secretly the last boss of this dungeon? I swear she's more dangerous than the monsters were about to face in here.
After a brief moment of me calming down and recovering from the critical hit I just received, we headed straight to the right path. As expected, the path was straightforwardly easy, only monsters like goblins, wolves, and hobgoblins are there. Our synergy is also constantly improving since we have been playing together for the past week, making the monsters we encounter easily dealt with. The only thing that poses a little bit of a challenge is the gargoyle at the end of the path that holds the key. It was tanky and my dagger was not able to pierce its stone hide. We were able to beat it quite handily though with Clarissa's spells and me aggroing it and acting as a dodge tank while doing some chip damage with my staff.
"Good work, you're improving quite fast." I praised Clarissa.
"It's all thanks to you for teaching me. But I think it's still not enough. I'm still nowhere as good as you right?"
"You're advancing at a good pace. No one starts off good at something, you just need time and experience playing the game, and I'm sure you could catch up to me in no time." I gave her an encouraging smile
"R-right! I'll do my best to not let you down." She replied resolutely
We backtracked to the large locked door from where we came. When we arrived, There was no one there quite yet. After waiting for a short minute or two, our other 2 party members arrive.
Hecct
Hp: 84%
Xeno (poisoned)
Hp: 12%
Xeno's health is very low probably due to the poison. He likely was hit by some traps. He's a bit slow and inattentive so it's more than plausible. Good thing we finished early or he might have died in a couple of minutes. This is one of the main reasons why having a healer is very crucial at parties.
"Oh, good timing! I thought we will have to wait for a bit. Can you cure Xeno? he's been badly poisoned." Hecct requested.
"What happened?" Clarissa asked worriedly
"I told him earlier before the dungeon run to bring a temporary buckler for him to be able to block the poison arrow traps but he didn't listen."
"'The Lightning Demon Slasher' doesn't need any shield! Shields will only slow down my lightning-fast moves and reflexes! I only rely on my dodging skills. I was just a bit distracted so I got hit that's all." Xeno reasoned.
Hecct sighed
After casting cure on him,(wherein he thanked me rather flirtatiously) I healed the team to full health in preparation for the boss. We then proceed to use our respective keys to unlock the door.
"Are you guys ready?" Hecct asked.
"Y-yes!"
"I'm always ready."
"...Ready."
Creeeaaaaaak*
The giant door to the boss dungeon opened. |
The sound of the rusted antique door opening echoed throughout the cave walls. As we entered further into the dark cave, the door behind us suddenly closed shut. I surveyed my surroundings. We are currently inside an island-like rock formation surrounded by water with many rock pillars in sight with no way out except the door we came through or towards a bridge on our front that also has an enormous locked door that can only be opened by defeating the dungeon boss.
"Be careful everyone, focus on repelling the tentacles while I deal damage to the head," Hecct warned.
"Tentacles! For real? You didn't tell me were fighting some Japanese abomination." Xeno exclaimed.
"I didn't tell you 'cause I knew you'd react like that. Now focus on the fight or we might get wiped."
"Getting wiped here is a small price to pay for a man's hopes and dreams!"
My impression of him is getting worse as time passes. The internet corrupted me enough to know what he was getting at. Good thing Clarissa seems oblivious to his innuendo. I have to remember to be wary of this guy. I need to protect her innocence from him.
Suddenly the earth quaked. An enormous sea creature rose from the depths of the water along with four giant tentacles. It uses its two tentacles to support its body by curling around the rock pillars in the area and the other two are used for battle and are equipped with a heavy spiked black armor-like exoskeleton. Its head has two large eyes, a massive, fanged mouth, and small spines or gills along its sides. It also has about 8 smaller tentacles all of which do not have that much reach. The creature roared as it slams the ground with its large tentacles for extra added intimidation points.
Kraken
Hp: 100%
Hecct suddenly rushed into the Kraken's head repelling and dodging tentacles while ignoring the damage of some that hit him while dealing damage to it, thus successfully aggroing most of the Kraken's tentacles. What a guy! His friend should learn a thing or two from him.
Hecct
Hp: 89%
Kraken
Hp: 91%
As if inspired by Hecct's heroic actions, we then proceed to stick to the battle plan and focused our attacks on the tentacles. At the same time, Hecct is attacking the head to retain the aggro all the while dodging and blocking the tentacles that came after him.
"Hyup"
"Firebolt!"
"Demonic Lightning Spinning Slash!"
I slashed the smaller tentacle close to me with my dagger, Clarissa fired a stronger version of the fireball spell at one of the large ones, and Xeno instantly sliced 2 small tentacles near him in half. Though I'm pretty sure he just did a normal 'Spinning Slash' weapon skill though, not whatever move he said.
All our attacks combined dealt high damage to the boss.
Kraken
Hp: 69%
Suddenly, I noticed one of the small tentacles managing to slither into Clarissa's blind spot and grabbed her left foot.
"Kyaaa!" she yelped.
She let out a cute voice that got me a bit distracted. Focus me! I don't have a single long-range spell and my weapon skill is nonexistent. I might just have to heal her instantly after she survives the boss's attack but the problem is that I am almost out of mana. Even though beginner-level spells like fireball and heal don't require much mana compared to intermediate spells like haste, I don't have that much mp left since I used up most of my healing on a certain someone who just keeps getting poisoned and hurt nonstop. I'm also building 3 stats priority, not just two so my mana pool is not that large compared to your average healer. This is a conundrum.
"Sheild Boomerang!" Hecct shouted.
As I was pondering my move, a shield flew like a boomerang and sliced the tentacle, setting Clarissa free. It completely broke the laws of physics and returned to him like some captain from a certain movie I know. I almost forgot about his weapon skill. Considering he was still aggroing the majority of the tentacles, that was a nice situational and surrounding awareness. What a nice assist while dodging the tentacles at the same time. He has a good affinity for leading and commanding.
"Tsk! so close! I-I mean good job nice save Hecct!" Xeno managed a 'nice save' in his dignity too.
You do know this is not an x-rated game right? The Kraken will only most likely throw her or slam her on the ground for extra damage, not whatever you were expecting to happen. This cannot go on. I don't want to fight this boss any longer than necessary or that guy might develop weird fantasies involving Clarissa.
I rushed towards the head while dodging every single tentacle that came after me.
"Be careful! Don't overextend" Hecct commanded.
I ignored him and continue to come close, suddenly the Kraken attacked me using one of its giant tentacles. I jumped sideways to avoid it and the tentacle slammed into the ground next to me, creating a small crater.
Bam*
Whew, that might have insta-killed me if it hit since I don't have much tankiness, only damage and mp for healing.
As the Kraken began to lift its giant tentacle, I immediately jumped at it and used it as a lift.
"W-what are you doing! That's crazy!" Hecct worriedly shouted.
I put my staff on my backstrap and equipped my two daggers from my belt on both my hands. I then ran towards the main body using the giant tentacle as a makeshift bridge and as soon as I deemed the distance suitable enough, I leaped toward its eye and used both my daggers to stab it for a critical blow.
"Roaaaaar!"
Kraken
Hp: 41%
The Kraken was enraged. It flailed hysterically making me almost lose my balance. I used both the daggers as an impromptu climber's gear to pull myself up and situate myself on top of its head for a more stable footing. Naturally, all the aggro went completely onto me, freeing everyone to focus on dealing damage and not minding the tentacles.
"Focus on its head!" I shouted while dodging the many tentacles coming my way.
They all focused fully on dealing damage while I prioritized keeping myself alive on top of the Kraken's head all the while maintaining my balance to not fall. If I fall here, it will be extremely fatal since I cannot move freely in the water. I received a few hits here and there from whip attacks of the tentacles but not enough to kill me since I dodged everything that could be fatal. I saw Clarissa channeling her current strongest and highest mana-costing skill. She probably held onto casting this skill for so long to find the perfect opportunity to cast it like this where all the aggro is onto me. This skill takes a long time to channel and the backlash of a canceled channeling will drain her mana so kudos to her for having this much patience. The thought of her listening to my teachings and applying them perfectly makes me proud to be her mentor.
After finishing the channeling, Clarissa cast her spell at the same time Hecct used his weapon skill.
They both aimed at the head of the Kraken.
"Sheild boomerang!"
"Flame burst!"
A shield boomerang and a ball of fire more than triple the size of a normal fireball hit its mark and exploded.
*Boom*
The impact of Clarissa's attack made me almost fall but I luckily held on.
Roarrrrrrrrr*
After a while, the Kraken finally gave its last death cry due to our fatal damage. It disappeared into red motes of light.
Kraken
Hp: 0%
Dungeon Cleared!
Sub Quest Cleared!: Dungeon Diving.
Main Quest Cleared!: Beast of the Sea.
Level increased to Lvl. 30
Level Increased to Lvl. 31
I got a bunch of quest XP and I leveled up 2 times from that. But sadly no rare or epic drops. Not even a special dungeon appeared for our efforts. Well, that's life you cant get what you want and always be lucky.
I fell into the water after the Kraken died but it took only a little swim for me to get back to my party. They greeted me with varying emotions.
"Novo! Are you alright?" Clarissa came running to me worriedly.
You know this is just a game right? She's getting too engrossed in this. To be fair, it is her 1st VR game so it is to be a bit expected.
"I'm perfectly fine," I reassured her.
"That was badass! I would've done the same but you beat me to it." Xeno suddenly called out.
"That was a bold move, but I guess you have the skills to back it up so it worked out in the end." Hecct chimed in.
"Yeah, I was quite lucky it turned out well."
"I'm quite positive that's not just luck. It takes a lot of skill to balance on top of the boss' head while dodging its attack at the same time. Do you have another main account?"
".....Kind off," I replied hesitantly
He seems to ponder for a while before deciding on something
"How old are you"? He asked curtly.
"Huh, I expect that question to come from your friend, not you," I said apprehensively.
Having realized what implications he just asked he suddenly became flustered, his face would have been crimson if CoA has that feature.
"Wha...Th-That's not what I meant! It's just that, I'm building a team to join the u20 tournament. If you're available and under 20 years old, would you like to join mine?" He hurriedly said.
"Sorry, already taken. I'd probably join you if someone hadn't already invited me to their team." I declined politely.
I'm not saying that just to be polite either, he's pretty skilled so joining him would not be a bad idea, unfortunately for him, Liz is my friend and I owe a lot to her for helping me return to the game I love. I wouldn't trade her for any team no matter how good they are compared to hers.
"I see... I guess I'll just have to stick to Xeno for my last member." he sighed.
"Hey! I can hear you, you know!" Xeno chimed in.
So my assumption is correct, he IS boosting that guy. To be fair though from what I saw from Xeno, he does have the potential to be very good at the game. His moves are not completely amateurish, though his overconfidence would be his undoing if he doesn't learn to be extra careful in fights.
"It's such a shame, but understandable. A support like you would be in high demand. It's rare to see a support that is also very skilled in melee combat since supports usually just stay at the back due to their low defense." Hecct praised.
"I get that a lot. I hope we both get through the elimination round. I would like to fight you in the main tournament." I voiced my inner thoughts
"I hope so too. Oh right, I'll give you guys this. I got it from the boss just now." he requested a trade.
*Hecct would like to trade with you. Do you wish to accept? Y/N
I accepted his offer then he gave me the loot he got from the boss.
"I don't really need it since I'm not a spellcaster, and it's only useful for early to mid-game so I can't trade it for my main account," he added.
I identified it.
Kraken's Staff (epic)
A staff that is said to have the power to call the power of the sea.
Wisdom + 20
Intelligence + 25
Mp + 200
Weapon skill Tsunami - Casts a medium-sized tidal wave that damages enemies that comes across its path.
Cooldown: 34 sec
Mp cost : 118 mp
A pretty good weapon for Clarissa, It also has a good aoe weapon skill too for us to grind faster. Though one major downside of it is its mana cost but Clarrisa's mp and int oriented build will probably balance it enough. I'll give it to Clarissa later so she can equip it after we exit the dungeon. It's a pretty good weapon, he could just sell it for a hefty amount of extra gold but he knows we will benefit more from it so he gave it to us. My respect for him is increasing.
"Are you sure we can have this?" I asked
"W-wait, we will give it to you in exchange for your cellphone numbers." Xeno chimed in.
My respect for this guy on the other hand is decreasing. It's not like you're the one giving us the loot you know?
"Don't mind him. Please take it, A friend list add would suffice though if that's fine with you guys." Hecct rebutted him.
The four of us added each other as we exited the dungeon cave. After a brief farewell, they both got on their separate ways.
"They're both very kind." Clarissa mused.
"Yes, they're both good people." I agreed.
Well, that is not entirely true since the other guy is a complete pervert........ But I guess he's not really a bad person so I can't complain too much.
We passed the time with little chats and me giving her the weapon while also suggesting tips to improve based on the dungeon run we had just finished until we arrived at the port city of Lallias. We then settled on the time we will meet the next time we play then eventually logged out with the promise to explore the port city together. |
I am currently sitting in a large lobby, with comfortable sofa chairs and plants decorating the room. The brand color of team Nexus Gaming's black and white, the same as the empty void of space and the light of the stars painting the whole area. The mood of its staff occupants was melancholic. After what happened in our last match, it is to be expected. It was so silent that you'll rarely hear anyone utter a single word except for the sound of a TV in the waiting lobby room playing the interview of an all too familiar Japanese beauty. The same player who wiped the floor with us earlier in our match.
"I will win, I cannot see her dodging my slashes even if she is still in her prime three years ago,".
I snorted at that ridiculous statement. She might be talented, but she never faced a different kind of talent like Yuusha. Though I might be biased since I was once her teammate...... And also, probably a little bitter cause she ended our last chance of qualifying for the AC tournament.
"Bob, Mr. Royce will see you now." The receptionist politely caught my attention.
"Ohh, right," I replied.
I stood up immediately, extra careful to not let the team manager wait even by a single second. I walked ahead into an opaque glass door that hides the manager from onlookers outside of his office. I braced myself for the worst as I entered. Inside, I saw a neat-looking room with luxurious paintings and ornamental flowers. Relaxing and pleasing to the eye is what I would define it. Though the current owner of the office is anything but relaxed.
"You know why I called you here, don't you," The team manager asked intimidatingly.
Our team manager has always been the serious type, he has brushed-up shiny hair, and a no-nonsense look always plastered on his stoic face. He is clean-shaven and neatly dressed in a luxurious suit that is probably a whole month's worth of my salary.
"Is it to invite me for a drink later so we can drink our problems away?" I made a joke to lighten the mood.
He ignored it completely. Looks like he's pretty pissed that it didn't even have any effect. Let's not push our luck then.
"That was your last chance to qualify at the AC and you blew it! This is the 1st time our organization cannot even attend the tournament. Do you know how humiliating it is for me, a newly appointed team manager!?" he raised his voice, further hammering his resentment.
"Yeah, sorry bout that, I'll take the blame, I underestimated their ace. I tried to finish it faster by doing a headshot but it backfired." I apologized to calm him down.
"At least you know when to take responsibility." he said sardonically "Let me be blunt, you will probably get kicked out of the team after the contract expires." he continued.
"I... I understand" I said bitterly.
"The only thing you're good at right now is publicity. You can't even qualify for the Andartha Cup. I should've listened to the higher-ups when they warned me that you guys cannot match the current competitive scene." he admonished.
My pride as a veteran pro CoA player took a big hit in that, but there's nothing I could say as a comeback since the results of our matches say otherwise. I just took it all with grit and a clenched fist.
"The higher-ups are planning to recruit new young players and rebuild the entire roster from scratch. I'm telling you this now for you to prepare for it when the time your contract expires. You should be grateful." he said condescendingly.
"Yes sir..."
After a while of dumping all his frustrations onto me, the 'meeting' with the team manager ended.
I exited the Nexus gaming building. I don't have any destination in mind. I just walked aimlessly for a while until my feet dragged me into the usual bar I go to when I want time to think by myself.
As I entered the bar, the smell of ale and wine instantly permeated my nose. The ambiance of this bar suits my taste perfectly with its slow music and relaxing decors. It is charmingly old fashioned and also doesn't have that many customers being out of the way of the main city streets. You could even call it 'hidden' as others might say. I've been a regular here ever since I became a member of team Nexus Gaming cause it's relatively close to the building, just a few meters away, and also serves some of the best alcohol I have ever tasted. Considering I'm sort of a heavy drinker, that is a pretty high standard.
I entered the bar and took a seat at the long bar table counter. The bartender Jonas, whom I'm very familiar with given the number of times I've been here gave me an acknowledging nod. He was currently mixing drinks for another customer with astonishingly exaggerated movements, which made it quite entertaining to look at. After serving him the drink, a Long Island Ice tea if I'm not mistaken, he took my orders.
"The usual," I said before he gave me a shot glass along with the standard bottle of rum I always order when I want to wallow in regrets.
I spent a couple of minutes in peace, thinking about the events of today and what the future entails when suddenly a familiar voice spoke from behind me.
"I knew you'd be here, you always go into this pub whenever we have a bad match" a familiar gruff voice came from my back.
Gustav Fernandez, aka Vanguard 'the Wall'. We have been teammates for more than a year. I'm sometimes quite jealous of him since he has a moniker. People just call the strategist of the team, or something like that, nothing concrete by the CoA community. Can't blame them though, I don't have any skills that stood out, except for my strategies and tactics, which unfortunately didn't do any help to our most recent series of matches.
"Here to blame me for the loss too?" I replied without looking.
"You know the fault lies in the whole team we lost back then, not just on you, right?" after pondering for a second, he continued. "Though you are the one who suggested our battle plan, so it probably is mainly your fault."
"Not helping," I said irritably.
He sat next to me and ordered the same bottle of rum as mine. He was tall, muscular and well built with a clean shaven head and scary looking face. If I hadn't known him for a long time, I would've been a little bit intimidated by someone like him sitting close to me.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm getting replaced too you know," he said gruffly.
"So, you know about the news?"
"Yeah... The management wants to build a new team from scratch. Now that our contracts are about to expire, nothing is going to stop that from happening. I'll probably find another team eventually though. There are always many teams who change their roster after the AC tournament concludes. And if it doesn't go the way I want, I could always easily join any tier 2 pro team with my experience.
"Well good for you"
"Not planning to join me this time in team hunting?" he asked a little surprised.
"Probably not." I said curtly
"That's surprising. What do you plan to do?"
I looked up at the lights of the bar, it was dim, with a good ambiance. The main reason why I love to drink at this place. It is quite relaxing.
"I'm not sure myself, probably retire? I'm getting too old for this shit," I replied tiredly
"What! Why? I thought your dream was to win a second AC before you retire?" he replied a bit shocked.
"We didn't even qualify for it this year. I'm already 27 and my skills are already rusting because of my age and diminishing drive to improve myself. I can't wait another year just to play in the tournament." I reasoned.
"So what? You plan on quitting CoA just like that?" he said with a hint of aggravation.
"...I'm not quite sure myself." I pondered as I shook my shot glass.
After a short while, I continued.
"When I first started CoA, it was the best thing that happened to me. I worked hard, and I'm motivated in playing to improve, I also found close friends online while playing and formed a team. We eventually won the AC with that same team. After that though, it's always full of pressure. Pressure in being a title holder, as 'THE' very first AC champion, is unsurmountable. The pressure of always being the captain of my team is also getting too hard for me to handle. You need to work extra hard in keeping your team together and prepare battle strategies with the coach against your opponent. You also always take the blame whenever your team loses or plays badly. Frankly, I'm getting tired... But you already know how hard it is since you were also a captain back then before we teamed up."
"Yeah, if it weren't for your team, we would've been the first AC champion. I still resent you for that you know."
"If you want to resent someone, resent that girl who destroyed you guys at the finals."
"Argghh, don't remind me. It was fucking humiliating getting soloed back then by a player 3v1, especially in the finals. I had nightmares from that match for weeks. That girl is a different kind of monster." He shivered.
"I get what you mean. I know it all too well playing as her teammate... Though her drive to win during that first AC tournament was entirely on a whole new level."
"Yeah, I noticed that too, as if her life depended on getting the cup. Never seen a player that determined to win before. It's such a shame she just quit though. I've always wanted a revenge match with her."
"...A shame indeed."
That girl has been always secretive even when in-game. She always uses a voice changer and sometimes even ignores us like she's an entirely different person. When the tournament ended, she didn't even go online a single time in CoA and also never responded to our in-game PMs. Something must have happened after that tournament. I hope she's doin' fine wherever she is now.
We transition into a comfortable silence for a while, slowly taking our shots. Until he suddenly piped up a question.
"Do you really plan on quitting CoA?" he asked genuinely.
I pondered for a moment. Thinking about what to do from now on.
"Probably, I mean, what use is there for someone as untalented as me? We both know CoA is different from most of the other strategical e-sports. Skills are what matters in CoA. Cheap things like strategies won't win against pure raw skills. There are monsters out there that defy logic and completely ignore tactical advantages. You know, I'm not as good as those monsters."
"I completely disagree, I won't let anyone talk shit to my rival like that, even if it is you doing the shit talk."
"Heh, thanks man, that means a lot..." I smiled at that.
Another silence, a lot shorter this time before Fernandez suggested something.
"I think that it's a waste for you to leave the pro scene completely though. Why not try becoming a coach so you could put that big head of yours to use?"
His suggestion hit me like a truck.
Realization begins to dawn on me. If winning my second AC tournament as a player is impossible, why not use my strategies and leadership into building a team that can win it for me? Why not use all my experience and knowledge in the game to train players full of potential to become monsters in the game?
My heart pumped fast and loud like a bass drum. This feeling, it has been so long since I last experienced it. I barely remember it from when I first built the team Paragon from scratch. A dream. A vision. A desire to create the strongest team that will shake the world of CoA.
"You know, you do say good things sometimes." I grinned. |
I woke up from my dream, sweating buckets. I feel nauseated. It's been a while since I had dreamt of my sister, but due to yesterday's events, I'm not surprised in the slightest that it happened again. Tears began to well in my eyes at the thought. I feel too depressed and unmotivated to even get out of my bed. On top of it all, I seem to have a headache due to all my emotional stress last night.
*Ring ring ring *
I lethargically picked up my phone from the table next to my bed. I forgot to set an alarm yesterday so I'm certain that It was mom calling to check on me again. She's been too overprotective of me ever since my sister left us. Maybe a bit too nosy for my liking but I understand that she's just worried about my mental state so it also makes me glad at the same time.
I answered the call.
"Kat, don't tell me you're not done preparing for your class again?" She asked.
I hesitated for a bit, dreading to tell her that I probably won't be able to attend the first class.
"...... I don't feel too well today mom".
"Are you alright? Have you taken your medication?" She inquired, worry with a bit of panic apparent in her tone.
"If you don't feel that well, take the rest of the day off." She said something I don't expect to hear from her.
"N-no, it's not that bad this time around, though I might just miss my first class."
"I see...... Just don't push yourself too hard honey, okay? Your dad and I are worried about you living alone there."
"Yeah, I won't. I'll hang up now and rest for a bit mom, love ya." I said as I pushed the end call button.
I sighed.
"I'll rest for a bit before I take my pills" I murmured to myself.
--------------------------------------------------
The drool-worthy smell of greasy pizza wafted from the entryway that everyone was jammed into. Stick figures lined both sides of the salad bar. I sit alone on the far opposite side of the cafeteria doorway eating my lunch consisting of unhealthy, fatty, and oily foods. All the while enduring the noisy talking and squealing of the students having their lunch which is gradually grating on my nerves and fuelling my mild headache. I should've brought my lunch today, I thought to myself.
"Katherine there you are!"
I was bought back from my thoughts as I heard a familiar voice. The voice of Elizabeth instantly lifted a bit from my unpleasant mood.
"I was looking for you earlier you weren't in the first class we were in together," she added.
"......I had a headache earlier when I woke up, I didn't really feel well enough to go to class so I wasn't able to attend." I reasoned.
"What! Are you alright now?"
"I'm fine thanks for worrying." I gave her a wan smile.
She seems unconvinced though but did not push the subject.
"So do you need me for something?" I inquired.
I tried to change the topic so that she would not pry anymore. My condition is not something I am comfortable sharing with others. Luckily she took the hint.
"Hmph! do I need a reason to talk to a friend?" She pouted as she sat beside me.
Friend huh? Hearing her saying that to me warms up my heart. I felt my cheeks heat for a moment but I did my best to hide it.
"Really? So there is nothing you need from me?" I asked as I suppressed my embarrassment.
She seems that she has something she wants to talk about. It must be something really important.
"W-well there is a favor I would like to ask," she said hesitantly.
I thought so.
"Let's hear it first," I replied curiously
"Right, have you heard of the 'Champion's Brawl'?"
"Not that I remember, no."
"Oh then let me explain, the CoA team is hosting the first-ever lan tournament for ages 15 to 20. Its main stage venue will be held in New York City," she explained.
So they are even creating a strong foothold for the youth player base huh? the CoA's Marketing and publicity team are quite scary, to be honest.
"Of course, pro players of division 1 and division 2 teams cannot join even if they are under 20 cause it would be very unfair for the other participants." she continued
Wait, am I even allowed to participate in that tournament? Well, I suppose I never officially become a pro since, after the 1st cup, I declined all the offers I had received since I lack the motivation nor the reason to play at all that time so I guess I'm eligible to join...... probably.
"It is a very huge event that has a prize pool with a total of $500,000. The 4th place team will get $50,000, the 3rd place team will get $75,000, the 2nd place team will get $100,000, and 1 place will receive a whopping $200,000! I forgot the other prizes but as far as I can remember, 5th to 8th place will also receive some cash prize." She continued as if reading from a script.
That is a pretty high prize pool overall even for an amateur tourney. I guess it is to be expected when the CoA team is the one hosting the tournament.
"Soooo.... You know what I am getting at right? Wanna join the team I'm creating?" she said expectantly.
I kinda want to join, 200,000 bucks just for winning a tournament without any pros in it? Just think of how many kinds of stuff I could buy with those. And this time around, I'm planning to keep it all instead of letting my parents manage it if we ever win! Also, spending more time with a friend with the same hobby is a big plus on my list. It has been fun talking to Elizabeth about common things we like and dislike. Lastly, I can finally repay my debt to her. That's 3 big enough reasons to accept her offer.
There is 1 huge problem though.
"But I..... don't have my own max-level account," I told a half-truth.
"Oh, I don't think that would be a problem. The online elimination tourney for all the entrees will start next month on October 2nd, and the top remaining 16 teams will be able to join the lan event on October 21st. You will have more than a month's worth of time to power-level your account and I can even boost you. Or if you want, you can always borrow mine?"
"No, I'll just create my own account thanks."
Your oversized breast will only get in the way of dodging. That's good news though, I better create my account later so I can grind my levels in time for the elimination. And as long as I am not using 'that' account, I probably can play without any difficulties.
"So does that means you're in!?" she said excitedly.
"I guess it does." I smiled.
"Woohoo! thank you, Katherine!"
She celebrated and tried to hug me, but I blocked her with my hand. Too slow.
"No hugs." I declared
"Tsk! You're no fun." she pouted
I can't seem to understand why other girls are so touchy-feely. Don't they have any respect for personal space?
"Ohh I almost forgot, what role do you want to play?"
I pondered for a moment. Playing support is really quite fun now that I think about it. It adds a different perspective that I haven't yet experienced as opposed to playing the carry of my team in the past. Also creating a support-oriented character fall in line with my plan to a fresh start playing CoA again.
"I'll play as your support like last time." I decided
"Ohh, I was hoping you could be the carry. But with how good you are, you can probably excel in any role you want."
".....You overestimate me." I looked away not meeting her gaze.
"Ohh, do I?" She smiled at me knowingly
"What about our other teammates?" I changed the subject.
She pondered for a while then finally said "I have a skilled guild member who is under 20 that plays well at team-ranked matches. The other one though, I'm not sure if he would join us. But if all goes well he will be a strong teammate. I'll inform you if I manage to poach him."
"Sure, then if you don't have any more business with me I'll be going to my next class," I say as I looked at the time on my phone.
Looks like I only have 10 more minutes before my Robotics class. Better get there early to get the farthest seat at the back.
"See ya Katherine, and thanks again!" She waved goodbye.
"Kat," I mumbled
"Huh?"
"Katherine is too long, just call me Kat," I said, barely audible.
"Then just call me Liz and were even. It's what my friends call me" she replied jovially.
"Later then, Liz," I said while walking away so she doesn't notice my reddening cheeks.
I returned my half-empty tray and got out of the cafeteria.
__________________________________________
Since I cannot use my sister's account without triggering my past trauma and having a mental breakdown, I decided to create a new character. That is the main reason I like to tell myself but deep down I know there is something else.
I'm scared.
When I played the match with June's team the other day, I realized the gap in skills between the current me from my past prime. I don't know if I could live up to the expectations of being Yuusha's user. I'm scared that I will drag my sister's legacy to the ground with my current lack of skills and knowledge of the current meta.
Looking at the brighter side of the picture though, having a new character and a fresh start would probably help me overcome my mental trauma bit by bit. I have to thank Liz for giving me the push I need to return to the game I love. I'll return the favor by doing my best to win our matches.
Also, it would be a lie if I say that I'm not intrigued by the notion of creating a support-oriented character. I always wanted to try one back then but I never got a chance to do so due to circumstances beyond my control.
That is why I'm currently looking at the text in front of me.
*
Account created, do you want to save your username and password for this VR pod? Yes / No*
"Yes," I prompted the voice command.
*
User name and password saved preparing to enter the game.*
*
Please create your character*
It is my first time creating a character in CoA since I never had one I can call my own so the novelty and excitement I feel multiplied tenfold.
-A long while later-
Ok the hairstyle is good
time to move to the face customization
Do you want to scan your facial features for your character? Yes / No
"No"
I don't want my face to be plastered all over the net if we ever did manage to garner attention at the tournament.
Initiating Facial Customization
What appeared in front of me is a screen with hundreds of customization options. There is even an option to put cat ears in my character? Yes, please! W-wait let's not get carried away now, shall we. Think of what would happen if Liz saw my character has cat ears, it would shatter my image. This is gonna take a while though.
-An eternity later-
"F-finally done, whew that was harder than any PVP I've ever fought."
It was worth it though. Wavy black hair, beautifully supple cheeks, a small but cute nose, and round and curious blue eyes in contrast to my piercingly intimidating one. I've created the cutest avatar character I possibly can. Very far off from what my real image is but I'm not complaining.
Face creation complete
Moving on to body type creation. Would you like to do a full-body scan? Yes / No
"Yes"
tut, tut, tut, tut, tut.
The machine resounded as it scanned my body's proportions. No picture though so it doesn't breach any privacy terms and such, just the full measurements of my body from head to toe. It's the same principle as if you're going to get measurements from tailors or designers, or so they say.
Now that I think about it, having my body measurements known is actually too much for a reserved person like me.
Full body scan complete
As I was having second thoughts about having my full body measurements shown to the world, there was a ping signaling its completion. It showed me the final results of my avatar.
*
Showing results. Is this acceptable? Yes/No
I saw my full body proportions bearing the cute face I had just created. Honestly, this went better than I expected. The cute facial features highlight my thin and lithe body type.
"Yes"
Character creation complete.
Please Enter a Name: ___________
A name huh? After pondering for a while, I suddenly remembered one of our classes on Robotics about innovation.
"Hmmm, let's go with......Novo."
It means 'new' in Old Portuguese. The name symbolizes my new start in the world of CoA.
Please Enter a Name: Novo
*Entering game*
A cutscene then entered my vision about the lore.
I immediately skipped it. It's a waste of time since I already know it by heart. It's about Andartha choosing me to be one of her champions to save the world. Something so cliche like that.
*
Synergizing character to the nerve gear.........
40%.......
78%........
Synergy complete*
*
Entering the World of Palios*
Zffff*
The view of the blue sky instantly entered my vision. Wispy layers and smokey formations in feathery strokes that do not look out of place when painted on a canvas. I looked at my eye level and saw a beautiful town bustling with countless new players, the town of Lumiria
There are this many new accounts in the starting town, huh, the player base of CoA just keeps increasing. Obviously, these are not only the newbie players in the starting town in the entirety of CoA even if they number more than a thousand. Due to CoA's rise in player base, cross-server instances have been implemented. This basically meant that in a single server, the player count cannot pass more than a specified number of players. For example, a town already has 2000 players and the cap of the server is 2000 players, if you log in or teleport to that town, you would be transferred to a different town with different players but is the same exact replica of the said town. This was implemented so that grinding spots and many other different quests that require certain items won't become a problem due to overcrowding. Parties are inseparable though so if you want to play with someone you know, party with them so you won't miss each other when trying to play together and explore the world of CoA.
The names of the newbies I saw vary and some even imitate the name of their favorite pro players. Different players can have the same exact name so it's possible but their game id is the one that separates them individually. Pro players also have an indication in their name when you identify them signifying that they are the real deal.
An example of this newbie here that I had just identified.
Zetta
Hp: 100%
Mp: 100%
Lvl: 12
Guild: none
Duel wr: 25%
Wins: 1
Matches: 4
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:***********
Introduction: I'm the real Zetta 'the Duelist'. Follow me on twi**** and insta**** and ill give you free skins and stuff.
Hmmm, very convincing, but considering Zetta is max lvl 100, a high-rank guild officer of Razor Guild, and has more than thousands of matches in his ranked match history, it makes me doubt your intro a little Mr. Real Zetta.
I took a look at the settings. Voice changer on, check. Auto translate feature, check. I made sure to enable both specifically since I'm not comfortable with strangers hearing my real voice (which I customized to blend well with my cute avatar) and also the auto-translate feature so I can understand even people who speak different languages. Technology sure has come a long way for us to have these conveniences.
Welp, no time to lose, time to grind and do the main quests for XP. The elimination round will start in a month so I need to power-level.
I immediately headed straight to the grinding area to do some leveling. |
And now let's head over to our casters DJ Riot and ParaTrooper for the match." Lumen announced.
The screen then switched to the 2 people who are supposed to cast the game. One is a guy with loose-fitting clothes that wears a bunch of bling, cementing the look of a rapper. The other is a neat and professional-looking man in his mid-20s.
"Thank you Lumen, here we are your favorite duo casters DJ Riot and ParaTrooper to give you the uptakes on this wonderful match. Who do you think will win ParaTrooper?"
Our conversation was interrupted when we heard that the match was about to start. I didn't even remember who these casters were. They must be relatively new to the scene.
"Everyone knows I'm a huge Atelier fan as almost every male player is, so I'm still betting all my money on them. But you also cannot count out the fact that their opponent is Tactical, one of the best strategists in CoA. His unorthodox style of plays may change the tide of the battle even when they are at a disadvantage." ParaTrooper rambled on.
Just as he was saying his biased thoughts, the screen suddenly switched to the match. The Map this time was a grassy plain. Perfect for a direct confrontation and hard for surprise attacks. Both teams started on the other side of each map, team Atelier is composed of 4 female players. All 4 of them were a sight to behold, earning their right to be called an idol group. The 2 of them however caught my attention readily. One is wearing what I can describe with my limited fashion knowledge as a Japanese kimono refitted for battle with a blue-themed katana attached to her waist. Her avatar has Dark blue hair with a single red streak that is tied by a ponytail showing her nape. I can only assume she's Masamune in accordance with her image. The other one caught my eye because of her cuteness moreso. She is wearing a red-themed mage outfit with more frills than usual. It is a custom outfit probably made by a talented tailor as most pro player's sets are so it doesn't forgo defense over its looks. Her avatar has pink hair with a bunch of cute accessories attached to it, styling it in an appealing manner. If Clarissa and she were in the same room, I'll probably die of cuteness overdose right there and then.
When the screen switched to show team NG, I instantly became nostalgic. I saw Tactical with his usual admiral-looking set and his legendary trusted cannon the 'Armada'. Cannons are the closest thing you can get as a gun in the world of CoA since using a gun would be downright cheating. It is far faster and stronger than arrows but has a longer reload time and is very heavy to make it balanced. One direct hit to the head could be fatal though so it's still a dangerous weapon. His Avatar as usual has a clean haircut and a very long beard akin to a pirate. I always told him that his beard is in the way of his avatar's cute looks and that he should just customize and remove it but he never listens. Another player that caught my attention was Vanguard. He was the best defensive player a while back in the first Andartha Cup and earned his moniker 'The Wall' For his godly parries and defensive maneuvers. He wears a heavy knight set with a helmet covering his whole head. He is also only armed with a single 2 handed giant heavy shield. He may seem to not do any damage with only a shield as his weapon but you can never underestimate a well-executed shield bash that can leave you susceptible to combos. I learned that the hard way the first time I fought him.
"There we go ladies and gentlemen the match between team NG and team Atelier is starting! For team NG, we have Critical their ace DPS carry, YNT their time mage support, Vanguard who is one one the best defender and also known as 'The Wall', and of course Tactical their captain. While on the side of Atelier we have Freya their aggressive axe user, Artemis the 1v1 oriented archer, Yuna their young prodigal captain, and of course, their ace Murasame 'The Unseen Blade'.
We can see team Atelier going for a 1 - 2 - 1 play with Artemis going solo top, Freya and Yuna going mid, and Murasame going solo bottom orb." DJ Riot summarized.
"Oooh, what is this? It looks like team NG is going 2-0-2! What do you think of this ParaTrooper?"
"That's unusual per se since securing mid is the norm so you can either back up the top or bottom orb if necessary since mid orb is the closest to both. But I like what the team NG is doing here. They not only predicted that team Atelier will send only solo players to the top and bottom orb, but they also predicted that Murasame, their ace, will go secure the bottom orb." ParaTrooper analyzed.
"What do you mean by that?" DJ Riot asked.
"Look at team NG's composition, Critical and YNT are going towards the top. Both players won't give you any breathing room with their fast tempo and can run at you due to their assassin and time mage comp. They can instantly close the gap and kill Artemis who is a ranged 1v1-oriented archer if she overextends. And look who is heading at the bottom. It is none other than Tactical and Vanguard, the best duo on their team. They plan to eliminate Murasame, the biggest threat on their opponent's side."
"I see that was a well-executed battle plan indeed! And even if they can't eliminate both, if they could just make them retreat and take the orb instead, it will give them a 2-orb lead. After that, they could just play defensively and stall for time. How do you think team NG knows of team Atelier's battle positions?" DJ Riot questioned.
"I'd say map hacks if I didn't know any better. But knowing Tactical, many of the rumors I heard from his opponents say that he can get into your mind." ParaTrooper answered.
"Whoowhee, I sure don't want to fight him! Can't let him see through my mind or I'd be in jail........ that's just a joke folks. You guys at home watching the stream please don't overthink it." DJ Riot managed.
These casters are good and knowledgeable in the game. They completely analyzed the exact battle strategy of both teams in just a short time. They could use some help with their jokes though.
After a couple of minutes of their nonsensical banter and other trivia they tell to the stream, the teams have finally arrived at their respective orbs.
"Ooohh they finally arrived just in time for the orbs to be capturable!" DJ Riot exclaimed.
"What's this!? Artemis suddenly retreated? Did she notice the enemy has a 2v1 trap in store for her? How perceptive!" He hyped.
"Team Atelier must have a counterplan also in case this happens. Artemis knows that she will just needlessly sacrifice her life in stalling the two so she opts to just help out her other teammates and leave the top orb. Critical is taking the orb while YNT is guarding him in case Artemis comes back which is the best play since they can't see Artemis fully retreating as we do." ParaTrooper explained helpfully.
"That's some fast decision-making skills. Just as expected from pro players!" Liz next to me chimed in.
"I don't understand much of what's happening but thankfully those two casters' insights help a lot," Lenna added.
"And look at the middle map, Yuna is taking the orb while Freya instantly left to back up Murasame as soon as they have the info that their opponent is doing a 2-0-2 play. They communicate and coordinate with each other pretty well and their team captain Yuna makes all the right decisions in a bad situation like this." ParaTrooper commented.
"Ooohh you're right! Team Atelier's gorgeous captain won't let herself fall too far behind against Tactical's maneuvers. And at the bottom orb, Surely Murasame needs to defend this right?".
"That is correct Riot, team Atelier knows that having a 2 orb disadvantage would make the game very hard to win for them. So they're banking all their hopes on their team ace to carry them. They are hoping Murasame can last long enough against the 2 veterans for Freya to back her up."
"Can she last that long though? the trip from mid to bot at full sprint will last roughly 4 to 5 minutes without any movement buffs or skills."DJ Riot quarried.
"It's definitely hard but we'll see. I honestly think she ha-".
"Hold that thought since the action on the bottom lane just started!" DJ Riot interrupted.
Just as both teams spotted each other, I saw Murasame wasted no time and rushed to get to Tactical but predictably, Vanguard got on her way. Murasame unleashed a flurry of fast sword slashes, too fast that even Vanguard is having a hard time blocking all of it even with his 2-handed large shield. The mastery, skill level, speed, and precision of the sword strikes she is showcasing can only come from someone who has held the blade in their entire life. Some of the slashes even went through his guard and connected to Vanguard albeit shallowly. I guess the saying practice one kick 1,000 times applies to her since her sword mastery is something to be feared.
Vanguard
Hp: 83%
"Whoa, she's going on the aggressive instead of the defensive!?" DJ Riot hyped.
"That is always her way of fighting, attacking relentlessly and pressuring the opponent into making a mistake. I don't think there would be any change in her playstyle anytime soon even when fighting at a disadvantage."
Just as Vanguard was receiving the flurry of slashes, he instantly sidestepped to the left and a cannonball went past beside him. Murasame was caught off guard and failed to dodge it. The cannonball clipped her on the shoulder and the impact sent her flying.
"Guhh!" she cried.
Murasame
Hp: 62%
"Whoaahh, what a godly coordination!" DJ Riot hyped.
"I completely agree, Tactical hides directly on the blindspot Vanguard provided and then coordinated a synergically perfect attack through the use of team chat." ParaTrooper summarized.
It's not just that though, they did it in a pro match with high stakes and a talented opponent, not just in any pubs. The mental strength to do it perfectly in such a situation against another obviously talented pro player deserves praise. They must've put a lot of work into practicing that move. Just as I expected from you, Tactical.
"Did you see that guys? Their teamplay is amazing! They might even be able to win!" Liz exclaimed.
"Yes, they really are amazing," I said as I found myself smiling slightly.
You got this Tactical, I'm rooting for you. Show everyone the strength of team Paragon's captain.
"Oho, what is this? as soon as she recovered she instantly went on the offensive again!" DJ Riot exclaimed.
As if nothing happened, Murasame instantly rushed towards Tactical, and as expected, Vanguard got in her way again.
Even the speed and precision of her slashes does not falter, maybe it even got faster as Vanguard was failing to block her more than before.
"Tsk!"
Vanguard
Hp: 66%
Then it happened again, Vanguard sidestepped, this time to the right and the cannonball went past through him. This time though she was prepared. She sidesteps opposite of Vanguard, which is to the left to completely evade the attack. She dodged the cannonball and then used the instant Vanguard was off balance in her favor to get past him in an attempt to defeat Tactical first.
Vanguard didn't let the opportunity pass and went for a shield charge at Murasame's unguarded back in an attempt to tackle Murasame off balance. However, she instantly did a two-foot kick at the shield and used the momentum of the shield strike to accelerate herself toward the unguarded tactical who is currently reloading after firing the shot.
"Whoah what a move by Murasame, not only dodging the cannonball but also using the well-executed shield tackle of Vanguard against him!" DJ Riot hyped.
She sprinted towards the unguarded Tactical who has no time to reload his cannon. But not everything is as it seems though.
"Rearm!" Tactical said cooly.
Suddenly his cannon glowed sea blue and then instantly became ready for firing.
'Rearm' is a unique skill to his weapon Armada. Unique skills are just like their namesake 'unique' in that they can only be acquired through very difficult to almost impossible means like an achievement, crafting using a bunch of incredibly rare materials, extreme luck, or other means that are borderline impossible to come by. Most pro players have unique skills embedded into their weapons and these skills are more powerful and valuable than legendary ones. 'Rearm' instantly reloads his Armada in a second for a hefty cost of mp. The overpowered part of it is that it has no cooldown, only a very high mana cost thus, making 6 to 7 straight cannon shots in a row possible before you run out of mana.
After using his skill, Tactical has time to fire a single more round. This will decide the match if it hits Murasame or not. Tactical Aimed slightly lower than necessary, then fired his weapon.
*Boom*
It missed, Murasame perfectly predicted the trajectory of the shot by looking at the angle of the aim and jumped to dodge it when she saw the fire animation.
"Whoaa what a brilliant dodge by Murasame, Tactical is in a tight spot now!"
I smiled. What an outplay. By Tactical that is.
"Displace!" a sudden shout came from the shielder, Vanguard.
Suddenly just as Murasame's jump attack is about to land a hit on Tactical, Vanguard instantly swapped positions with Tactical due to Vanguard's own weapon skill 'Displace'. Murasame, being in the air, has no possible way to cancel her attack. Vanguard used his giant shield to bash Murasame forcefully upward.
"Hwwwrrrrrraaaaa!" Vanguard shouted as he put all his strength into the attack.
Sword and shield collided. Murasame blocked the bash with her sword but was hurled into the air with the sheer raw power of Vanguard's full-force shield bash. Murasame took minimal damage from the collision.
Murasame
Hp: 55%
"Rearm" Tactical stated unhurriedly.
It's over. She was outplayed the moment Tactical aimed his shot at her lower body. He predicted that she would be able to dodge it by jumping. She would still get hit if she failed to dodge the blast, a win-win situation for him. Now that she is flung into the air, she cannot dodge the shot nor can she activate any weapon skills. Weapon skills can only be activated on the ground with very few exceptions making aerial combos a go-to for pros to avoid defensive weapon skills from messing up their combos.
"This looks like it! One more direct hit and Murasame might die!" DJ Riot hyped.
Boom*
The sound of the cannon blast resounded throughout the field. The cannonball flew straight and hit her in the head.
Or it was supposed to.
Ting*
She slashed the cannonball in half while in mid-air.
"What the?!"
"The heck?!"
"Holy shiiieeeet!"
Liz, ParaTrooper, and Dj Riot shouted simultaneously.
I was speechless. What the heck did I see, is she even human? Tactical once told me his cannonball reaches as fast as 140 mph at its peak speed. That is 2x faster than an average pro baseball pitch speed, and she just slashed it in half while she is mid-air without the aid of any in-game skills? Granted that a cannonball is bigger than a baseball but still, anything other than a well-executed slash at the center would not slice it in half that perfectly. She must have predicted that Tactical would aim for the finishing headshot since her backup is about to arrive. She's insanely skilled and quick-witted to be able to pull that off.
"Did you see that folks? What a monster! This is the first time I've seen a spectacle like that. What a god!" DJ Riot's said in awe.
As DJ Riot was expressing every single praise he could for that play, the match continues as Murasame landed close to Tactical and further away from Vanguard who has just switched positions with him. She did not waste a single second for her counterattack as Tactical was currently close and unguarded. She sheathed her katana and then murmured.
"Falling Rain Blossom"
She activated her weapon skill, A skill that I had never seen before. Her sheathed katana glowed dark blue then she disappeared, at least seeming to disappear to the untrained eye. She dashed towards Tactical and then made an insanely fast draw slash. No, not just a single slash, I think it was 4 supersonic slashes but my eyes could not follow it completely.
My eyes that are trained to dodge fast strikes.......Lost to her speed.
Whoosh*
She then sheathed her blade signaling the end of the skill with its dark blue glow dimming entirely.
Tactical
Hp: 0%
"Whoah that was lit! Now you folks know why she is called 'The Unseen Blade' I didn't even see her slash!"
"What the heck was that skill?" I asked Liz.
"That..... was her unique weapon skill. It accelerates speed for 1 sec by 1.7x, the fastest movement haste known so far. She is able to do 3 very fast slashes in that same moment due to her sword skills. It's super strong but the fans speculate that it has an incredibly long cooldown since she only does it 1 time a match. Nobody knows how long its cd is since their team doesn't want to give up that strategic advantage." Liz answered.
That was kind of overpowered. Haste buffs cast by time mages only have a maximum of 1.2x speed increase since movement speed gives high advantages in PVP matches. Haste skills do have their downsides though. It messes with the perception of players so more than likely they make mistakes by attacking too fast which completely destroys their tempo. Only skilled and veteran players would want to get hasted, more so a 1.7x. She's pretty talented to master a skill like that. It only lasts for 1 sec though so you need to be extremely skilled to make the most of it. You also need to use it at the right moment since it has an incredibly long cd or the weapon skill would be a complete waste.
"She did 4 slashes though not just 3... I think." I corrected her.
"Really? all the slow-mo replays I saw her only do 3 slashes at max."
"Maybe Katherine's eyes are better than slow-motion cameras" Lenna joked.
"What an amazing play from The Unseen Blade! she singlehandedly defeated Tactical giving her team the bottom orb advantage and she didn't even wait for the backup to arrive! what a badass!" DJ Riot exclaimed.
This is bad, I don't think anyone on team NG can beat her if even 2 of their best players can be soloed by Murasame. I just hope you can make a strategic play to reverse this situation in the next game, Tactical.
-----------------------------
It was only a matter of time before team Atelier won the first game. With Tactical dying, Vanguard did not stand a chance against Murasame without a proper DPS so the match became a 2v4 with an orb advantage in favor of the team Atelier. The worst part is, Yuna just healed all the damage Masamune received from her fight earlier when all of their 4 of their members regrouped, getting her back to full strength. This resulted in a 2v4 match where team NG has no chance of making a comeback.
Game 2 was worse for team NG since their morale was incredibly low due to the 2v1 of Murasame in their first match and their best strategy failed to even win them a single game. The series ended 2-0 in favor of team Atelier thus putting the final nail in the coffin of team Nexus Gaming's chance of playing in the 4th Andartha cup and their pro league division 1 run came to an abrupt end.
Author's Note:
You can also check my story at Scribblehub or RoyalRoad for advanced chapter since I sometimes forgot to update here. I have some kind people help me edit in those sites so i prioritize posting there. |
The city gate in front of me is enormous compared to the previous ones I've seen, though it is to be expected for a major city like Lallias. Surrounded by walls on half of its part and water on the other, the city is a majestic sight to behold. It is guarded by NPCs that take offense in the sight of red players or PKers (Player Killers). Starting from this city, players can now kill each other through PK since players have already gotten past the beginner territories. Though there are severe punishments for red players such as getting chased by NPC guards, being unable to party in dungeons, getting killed without repercussions by other players, and many more disadvantages. That is why there are not that many red players, only those foolish enough or confident enough in their skills to survive CoA alone do PK.
Players go in and out nonstop in the city. There are plenty of players around especially on a Sunday. As for why I was here in front of the city port gate, I was waiting for Clarissa to arrive at our agreed time.
As I was getting bored waiting, there was suddenly a commotion near the gate. I got curious so I went to check what it was about. I caught a glimpse of someone fighting when I got near enough surrounded by many onlookers with the same curiosity as me. One was a swordsman with a knight set you would commonly get in this stage of the game, the other though has a rugged rogue kind of look. He has twin claws equipped in both of his hands. His clothes are in tatters and he's wearing a hood so I could not quite see his facial features at this angle. I identified the rogue.
Dravyn
Hp: 100%
Mp: 76℅
Lvl: 95
Guild: Ravenhide
Duel wr: Hidden
Team Rank matches wr: Hidden (rank 921)
1v1 Rank matches wr: Hidden (rank 872)
id#:***********
intro: Duel me if you want to test your skills!
"Hahaha, weak! So very weak! You haven't even done any damage to me!" the ranker taunted with a high shrill voice.
Krane
Hp 21%
"Tsk! Crazy bastard!" the knight exclaimed.
I see what's happening here, the knight must have challenged the ranker. A pretty bold move considering he is only level 51. The ranker is toying with him. There are plenty of those kinds of people who want to prove themselves by challenging a ranker like this guy so it's all his fault that he is being humiliated right now. Though that ranker is quite a trash-talker.
"You're so weak that I don't even need my weapon to beat you!" he taunted.
He drops his weapon to the ground, a form of disrespect to your enemy, many would even call it the ultimate BM (bad manners) move. You can do it freely since others can only pick up loots dropped from another player after a minute elapsed. This is made so that even if you accidentally dropped a useful item while sorting your equipment, it would not be lost instantly to any looters. Unless you got PKed (Player killed) of course, then your killer will have the right to your loot.
The BM move got viral on YouTube when 2 popular streamers had a conflict that lasted for weeks. It started with trash-talking, then their fans came to join the fight so it got a bit out of hand. PKs started to go rampant and unconcerned players got caught up in the clash. The 2 streamers eventually both decided to have a PVP match to settle the dispute once and for all. The match started fairly even, but Kaeneth, one of the streamers got the upper hand eventually. Before he finished his opponent, he tossed his main weapon on the ground and pummelled his rival to death using his bare hands. He then stated after the fight that he doesn't need a weapon to beat someone as weak as him. That notion went on to the community as the ultimate disrespect you can do to your opponent. Many say that your opponent dropping his main weapon in front of you would be the most humiliating experience you'll ever have in PVP. Though I haven't experienced it yet because I'm not that weak to be defeated by someone without a weapon.
As the two were about to resume their bout with the ranker dropping his weapon, an angel caught my attention.
"There you are, Novo! What are you doing there?" Clarissa called out to me.
"Oh, nothing, ready to explore the port city?" I said as I immediately went to her.
The match was pretty one-sided so there's no point in seeing someone get humiliated, and I also don't want Clarissa to watch a match with that much toxicity.
"Yeah, let's go!" she said excitedly.
We explored the whole city while I taught Clarissa the things that came to mind. Such as where to find the blacksmith and weaponsmith, the guild branch for the quest, and other basic necessities that she would benefit from learning.
We arrived eventually in the town square, we bought many things. Some decorations and accessories and some food that can affect your taste receptors, though it's not filling so it's quite strange eating it. An experience I would never get used to no matter how many times I tried it.
After a while of traveling around the city, something caught my attention.
"Hmm?" I stopped for a bit
"What's wrong?" Clarissa asked curiously.
"Ohh sorry, stay here for a bit I forgot something. I'll be back soon so don't go anywhere or we might miss each other."
"I'm not a child you know," she pouted... How cute.
I left her at the LVL 90 guards. They might be NPCs but they still have raw stats so one hit from them would be fatal for players at this stage of the game.
I walked to a back alley in the small part of the city where there are seldom any players and no NPC guards in sight to confirm my theory. After a while of waiting, 3 players approached me.
At the center of the trio is someone familiar.
I identified him.
Gurand
Hp: 91%
Mp: 84%
Lvl: 39
Guild: none
Duel wr: 96%
Wins: 27
Matches: 28
Team Rank matches wr: N / A
1v1 Rank matches wr: N / A
id#:***********
Introduction: Add me and ill carry you. I'm a PVP veteran here in CoA
"You again?" I said exasperatedly.
"Hehehe time for a payback for ruining my 100 percent win rate. I told you before you'll pay for this right? Now beg if you don't want to die! Dying in PK means there is a chance you're gonna drop an item. So, apologize to me if you don't want that to happen hehehehhe." he did his signature creepy laughter.
Ohh, if an apology is the only thing he wants then it's fine. It's more troublesome to kill them all here and become a red player.
"I'm sorry I ruined your win rate, it won't happen again so let bygones be bygones, and let us get out of each other's hair," I said politely.
"Oooh, you seem tame now, where was your bravado when we fought last time? Teach me more of the moves you said I was lacking. You're so good in the game that you can even tell me how to swing my sword, ain't that right, bitch?!" he spat out his words.
I remained silent. That's constructive criticism, not even trash-talk. How will he improve if he ignores his weakness and doesn't take advice from others who are more experienced than him? He's so prideful that all my suggestions and teachings went for naught... How disappointing.
"Ohh I know, get down on your knees and lick my feet, then maybe I'll let you go heheheh." He smiled manically.
You know, I could just log out and all your posturing will be for nothing, right? We're not in some death VR game or something similar where logging out is not allowed.
I sigh.
Though, if I don't teach him a lesson here, he would probably bother us later down the road, how bothersome. Looks like I have no other choice. There are three of them so it's a 3v1 huh, it has been so long since I fought 3 on 1. Almost 3 years if I'm not mistaken and also at a grander stage compared to this back alley. How nostalgic.
"Fine, just please leave me alone after this," I lied to let their guard down.
I took the initiative. I placed my staff at my back strap as I got near his strike zone pretending to beg on all fours. He let his guard down so I took out my hidden dagger from my belt and stabbed his head.
A notification pinged, warning me of my PK attempt, but I ignored it.
"Wha?!"
Gurand
Hp 63%
He seems confused, he cannot comprehend that I will actually try to fight them 1v3 so I used his moment of confusion to land another stab in his head.
Gurand
Hp 25%
He got scared at his own diminishing HP, he probably didn't expect that a mage could do this much damage in melee combat. Unlucky for him, I allotted a lot of stats on dex now. Also, my accessories have dex-boosting attributes while my cleric set and robe have wisdom and int-boosting stats for sustainability and increased healing power.
In his moment of terror, he fell out of balance and landed butt-first on the ground. He panicked and crawled out of the way to hide behind his subordinate. I let him go though since I don't actually plan on killing him or I would become a wanted player.
"W-what are you guys waiting for?! Get her!" He shouted at his subordinates.
"Hraaa"
"Lightningball"
As if the confusion spell they were subjected to finally faded, his two subordinates finally made their move.
The rogue slashed at me with his dagger while the mage fired a small ball of lightning, a basic lightning spell in the same tier as a fireball. Lightning spells are faster than fire-based ones but lack the proper firepower.
I let the dagger scrape me but did not let it damage any vital parts while I took the lightning ball head-on with my other free hand.
*Ting
Another notification pinged in my peripheral vision but I ignored it since I already know what it is. It is a notification that allows me to use defensive measures against the enemies trying to kill me. Meaning, I can now kill them without repercussions.
Kritika
Hp 100%
Martz
Hp 100%
Novo
Hp 78%
That took a lot more in my HP than I would like. I am reminded again of my squishiness with how their weak attacks are doing this much damage. Though the sacrifice was worth it since I can now fight back without worry.
I dashed at the rogue first and waited for his response. He panicked and slashed at me just as expected. I sidestepped his slash and prepared my counter. As his overhead dagger swing missed my head by an inch, I jammed my dagger into his mouth.
"Khack" he flinches at the gruesome attack
Kritika
Hp 61%
Even though he doesn't feel the attack strongly in terms of pain receptors due to the pain limiters, the psychological damage of having a dagger in your mouth was more damaging. Pure terror was plastered on his face making him unable to move, he is inexperienced.
I took advantage of his inexperience.
I jammed my other dagger onto his ear and used the other dagger in his mouth as a pivot to slash him with both of my dual daggers. I made an X-shaped crescent with his head as the canvas.
Kritika
Hp 0%
In the corner of my vision, I saw the mage channeling a powerful spell while all that was happening. Even though he was surprised at how quickly his teammate died at my hands, he kept his cool and continued his channeling. He's better than expected, compared to this guy at least. He's a couple of feet away so it would be hard to stop his magic. Hard, but not impossible. From my experience in PVP, the moment the enemy is about to attack is the best moment to attack them.
"Lightni- khack"
Just as he was about to cast his skill, I swiftly threw my left dagger into his mouth. He failed to dodge it since he was eager to cast the spell and got complacent. As result, his spellcasting was canceled.
I rushed at him in an effort to press the attack and not let him get enough breathing space.
He tried to swat me with his staff but he's so slow and bad at melee combat that it doesn't even look like an attack to me. I easily dodged it and stabbed his head with my remaining dagger, again and again until he disappeared into blue motes of light. I picked up the dagger I threw that was dropped in his death, along with a robe item.
You've acquired
Robe of Vergoth (epic)
Whoah lucky! Clarissa will need this later on. It has a level 40 requirement but we will power level quickly enough for her to wear this. A thought crossed my mind, maybe PKing players is actually worth it? No, wait! Hold that thought, let's not get into any psychopathic tendencies now shall we?
After I took all the loot I turned my head to the source of all this trouble.
He was stricken in both terror and awe judging from his expression. Though to be fair, I just soloed his whole team in a little more than a minute, so I guess it is to be expected.
I walked towards him, slowly and menacingly. This is kinda fun.
"Eeek I'm s-sorry please forgive me!" he cried.
You could just log out you know, though I guess he's too panicked and immersed in the present to think of something as simple as that.
As I got close to him, I placed my dagger to his throat for extra intimidation points.
"Listen here, I don't want you anywhere near me or my party member. Got that?" I mustered the most intimidating voice I can.
He whimpered
"You must have already concluded that I'm a veteran player myself, but what you don't know is that I also have a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired from playing CoA, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. I'm also a high-ranking member of the Paragon guild. If you try anything like this again, I promise that my guildmates and I will find you, and we will kill you, over and over till you drop all your equipment. Got that?"
He nodded his head so fast that it looked like he was having a seizure.
"Now get out of here, I don't want to see your face ever again."
He immediately stood up and ran away as I released my dagger from his neck.
I used my old guild as a threat. It's more of a lie since I don't have any contacts in the guild now. Though the Paragon guild was one of the top guilds back then, so I would like to think they have at least some influence in the CoA community till now.
Well, I guess that's it. I don't usually resort to threatening players but he gave me no choice. I don't want him to go after Clarissa when I'm not around, so that's the best solution I could think of in that situation. I just hope I terrified him enough so that he won't bother us ever again.
I walked back to where I left Clarissa, I saw her looking at something, probably surfing the net.
"Sorry it took so long. Did I make you wait?" I said apologetically.
"Novo! I didn't wait that long but where did you go?" she asked curiously.
"I just got something for you," I said as I initiated a trade with her.
I traded her the robe I got earlier from the mage.
"Wha- this is an epic robe, I can't just have this for free!" she denied the trade.
"It's not for free though, as I said before, you're helping me level so I need you to have stronger items so that you won't slow me down, understood?"
"Y-yes!" she said determinedly.
How easy.
She accepted the robe with such a broad smile that it made me think that becoming a PK-crazed player would actually be worth it. |
We were teleported to a forest map. the terrain is chosen at random but the map size and positions of the orb are always the same. This kind of terrain gives an advantage to ambushes because of the thick bushes and high trees. How nostalgic I thought to myself. This is the terrain we had in the last match of the finals of the Andartha Cup. I was bought out of my thoughts when Elizabeth suddenly issued the play.
"Romel and Beny go to the top orb, if you see Chu, play defensively and stall for time, and don't let them take the orb. We will back you up after we get the middle orb. If the area is free, get the orb immediately and head over to the mid orb and back us up." Elizabeth's demeanor instantly changed as she ordered her battle plan.
"S-should I cast haste on everyone?" Beny asked
"No need, conserve your mp. This might turn into a battle of attrition."
That's the right call I suppose. Casting haste takes a lot of mp even for an mp built mage. And getting to the orbs earlier than your enemies won't be beneficial that much either since you can't capture the orbs after a certain point of time elapsed due to an electric field in the arena terrain. This prevents players from cheesing by using movement skills to capture the orb before the enemy gets there.
"And be very mindful of Chu, don't fight him solo."
"O-okay!"
"I'll dumpster that guy if I see him."
They both took off. I can see why Elizabeth grouped those two. Benny is a time mage, good support for buffing Romel, who uses a giant claymore. Speed buffs of Benny counteract the slowness of Heavy weapon users. Claymore's heavy damage also more than make up for a time mage's lack of proper DPS. Her battle plan is also well crafted given the time she had preparing it. She instantly spots the greatest threat of the enemy team (which is Chu) and crafts a game plan that will best neutralize that threat. She isn't too greedy either. She didn't split us up and only focused on acquiring 2 orbs. Also, judging by her demeanor, even if we were the ones to encounter Chu in mid-lane, she seems confident we can take him on. And if Chu is on Bot Lane, then this match will go smoothly for us. Her experience in team matches shows.
"Are you fine with supporting me Katherine?" she asked me.
"I'm fine with it," I replied.
She nodded then we set off into the forest for the mid-Orb.
-------------------------------
We arrived at the Mid orb just as the field dissipated. It was an orb the size of a bowling ball guarded by a pyramid-shaped barrier in the middle of a very large arena-like platform. Surrounding the arena is the forest where we came from.
As we stepped into the arena, we were greeted by 2 players who had also just arrived. It was the 2 players flirting heedless of their surroundings back in the lobby, Dan<3Kay and Kay<3Dan. The boy, Dan<3Kay seems to be a knight focused on using a heavy shield, a textbook defensive support, while the girl, Kay<3Dan is a DPS mage, an ice-oriented mage if I would guess based on her staff.
"Honey, it looks like we have a tough opponent ahead of us." the mage, worriedly said while looking at Elizabeth.
"Don't worry Sugar, individually they may be stronger but together, they won't win against the power of our love!" The shield knight declared.
That's it, I'm gonna massacre these guys.
As I was getting near them Elizabeth suddenly called out to me.
"Katherine, let me go in front, stay at the back and support me from afar, I got this."
Oh yeah, I forgot that I was a support now. She has a point.
"Fine, but promise me you will give them the beating of their life!" I conceded begrudgingly.
"S-sure I'll do my best!" she replied, taken aback by my sudden enthusiasm.
Elizabeth then rushed to their mage and opt to ignore the knight. This a common tactic since DPS characters tends to forgo survivability in exchange for more damage. She's fast. She wears a set akin to a royal musketeer without the hat so her set didn't weigh her too much. Her weapon of choice is a rapier. A good weapon for dishing out damage with fast thrusts. It also doesn't require you to overextend your attacks since it has a long reach and you can just thrust and back away if it gets too dangerous. A good weapon both defensively and offensively.
"I won't let you harm her! I'll protect Kay even if it costs my life!" the knight in shining armor proclaimed.
Just as Elizabeth was getting close to the mage, the knight situated himself in front of her in an attempt to block her. The ice mage had been channeling as soon as Elizabeth rushed them, and I'm too far away to help her since she rushed in.
"Shield bash!"
A blue aura manifested through his shield.
the knight tried to bash her with his heavy shield's weapon skill but she immediately stopped and took a huge step back to dodge it. The knight was aiming for that since it cut off her momentum giving time for his DPS to finish channeling. This is bad.
"Crystal Nova!"
A giant block of Ice suddenly materialized on top of Elizabeth. The spellcasting was perfect. It was aimed precisely where Elizabeth would be after dodging the knight's attack. I have to give praise where praise is due, they both synergize well with each other. This makes it impossible for Elizabeth to dodge it under normal circumstances. I say normal circumstance because Elizabeth suddenly vanished.
*krasshh*
The block of ice crashed into the ground leaving a cold air breeze.
"Did.... did I get her?" the mage nervously asked her knight.
Famous last words I would say. A very nice jinx indeed.
"I.... think she vanish-!? Behind you!" The knight yelled.
Too late, Elizabeth suddenly delivered a strong thrust to the head of the mage, the part that gives the max damage multiplier if hit. Mages and other casters usually forgo adding HP in favor of int to increase their damage and MP. Coupled with the mage's incredibly low defense and Elizabeth's red weapon, she died instantly.
"H-honey.......!" Her body suddenly transformed into motes of blue light then dispersed.
Kay<3Dan
Hp: 0%
"Wha-.... H-how did you dodge that!" Elizabeth remained silent.
What did he expect? Her suddenly revealing all her cards just because he asked? I got an idea of what happened though but I'll confirm it from her later. Right now, we have a match to win.
"Tskk!" the knight, out of options rushed towards me in an attempt to even the scales.
I'm unguarded so that is a good move actually but I'm not as helpless as he thinks.
"Thorn burst." little thorns suddenly contracted his feet to impede his movements, it slows him down a bit but he eventually broke free with brute strength due to his presumably high strength stat. So, this is the best this purple weapon skill...... how depressing.
I have only defensive and healing skills though and my only cc is my weapon. At least it bought a bit of time because before he can get near me, Elizabeth thrusts him from behind.
"Grahhh!" he shouted.
Dan<3Kay
Hp: 76%
He is pretty tanky but he has no damage and no way to kill us. It's only a matter of time before we deplete his hp.
---------------------------
-Romel's PoV-
"Shit, shit fuck! this should not be happening!" I yelled
I was so frustrated, there is only one enemy and we can't even kill him! He only shoots arrows from afar and hides in the forest. What a cowardly tactic.
"C-calm down!" My teammate Benny said.
"Calm down? aren't you frustrated by his cheap shots?" I said to him
"There is nothing we can do about it, let's just play defensively like Liz said. If we go after him and leave the top orb, we might get caught in an ambush in the forest or someone might steal the orb while we're gone!" Benny reasoned.
"Then just block his arrows while I capture the orb!" I suggested.
For us to capture the orb, the barrier must first be dispelled. while destroying the barrier, you can't take damage while channeling and placing your hand on the barrier for 1 minute. And my useless excuse of a teammate can't even protect me while I'm dispelling the barrier!
"I can't even predict where his arrows would come from! he moves instantly to a different angle every time he fires an arrow from the forest!" Benny argued
"Then think of something!" I exclaimed.
"Let's ask Liz for backup?"
"What do you mean ask for backup!? It's 2v1 and you're a man. Have some fucking pride and don't just cry for help from girls!"
Just then, I felt a very minuscule pain in my back. I got hit by an arrow again shit! good thing the VR nerve pain receptors only go so far or that would've hurt pretty bad in real life.
KingRomel
Hp: 72%
"This can't go on. We got to do something. He will just keep shooting at us and we don't have any healer. He'll chip our hp to zero if this keeps up!" I reasoned.
"What do you suggest?"
"Speed buff me so I can go after him while you protect the orb, he's probably shit in melee combat so he plays like a pussy!" I ordered.
"......But Liz said!"
"Hurry!" I shouted
"A-alright already! Just get back if you think you cannot handle him. " Beny conceded.
"You're joking, right? I won't lose to him." I declared.
Beny finished his spell and cast it on me. I instantly rushed to the last place Chu's arrow came from into the forest.
I searched for him for a while but I can't find any trace of where he had gone to.
Suddenly the team voice chat pinged.
("Help! Chu is here need backup!") it was Benny.
I immediately turned tail and ran back to the orb. What I saw when I came back was Benny dissolving into motes of blue light. Next to him is Chu holding a pair of butterfly swords in his hands and his bow at his back.
Honestly what a useless teammate, he can't even last for more than a minute by himself!
"Pretty dumb move leaving your support by himself." Chu tauntingly said.
"Seems like a good one to me. Now that you showed yourself, I won't let you escape." I say as I brandished my giant claymore.
"Don't need to, I can take you on easily."
He then dashed towards me.
---------------------------
Blue motes of light filled the air and eventually dissipated. That took longer than expected. He was a good shield user, and quite the team player too. After he realized he can't win against us, he turtled and played very defensively to buy time for his teammates by stalling us from getting the orb. A pretty good tactic if I might add. But the skill gap shows and eventually, Elizabeth beat him.
You ask what I'm doing during all that? Elizabeth didn't need my healing cause the guy never went on the offensive.
That doesn't mean I'm useless, ok? I threw in some thorn bursts here and there. Every cc helps......... even if he just easily shrugs it off......... my God, so this is what it feels like to be uselessly carried by my teammate like a piece of luggage. How depressing.
"They were quite good." Elizabeth mused.
"Yeah, the fight would've taken us a whole lot longer if it weren't for your well-timed 'Shadow Step'."
Shadow step is a skill of some legendary tier weapons. I fought a few users of those weapons in the past. It is the skill she used earlier when the 'Crystal Nova' almost hit her. It allows its user to instantly blink to a short distance below 20 feet range. It is not a popular skill mainly because of its high cooldown(30sec) and its simplicity. Players like more flashy weapon skills but one cannot argue that a well-placed shadow step can change the tide of the match like what happened earlier.
"You know of it? I recently got it and wanted to test it in this match. I thought it was not a well-known weapon skill." Elizabeth inquired.
"I do my research sometimes." I lied.
Suddenly a message resounded through the team chat.
("Help! Chu is here need backup!") Beny cried.
("Beny, are you guys alright there!") Elizabeth sent a message to the team chat for all of us to hear.
No response. They are probably busy engaging the opponent.
"We better hurry!" Elizabeth said worriedly.
Just then I spotted a figure heading toward us from a distance. It seems he came from the bottom orb. That means they did a 1 - 2 - 1 play. Chu came for the top orb and is fighting Benny and Romel for it. The two lovebirds who we just beat went for the Middle orb. And lastly, June who is currently approaching us and more than likely has the Bottom orb.
He probably came here to back his teammate up and stall us from taking the mid-orb. That serves us better though, if we can defeat him now, we can take 2 orbs giving us the advantage of playing defensively. It seems Elizabeth noticed him too since she is looking in his general direction.
"Take the orb, I'll stall for time." I declared.
"A-are you sure?" she doubted.
I'm not that useless you know!
"Yeah, trust me."
"......Okay, be careful. I'll back you up as soon as I can. Just play safe and stall for time." she conceded
I dashed towards the figure. Every second counts, the sooner we get the middle orb, the faster we can help the other two. We can't let June distract us from getting the middle orb. I'll be the bait so it doesn't happen. There is no better bait than a support without anyone protecting her.
As I got closer, I saw June wearing a set akin to a street brawler. He's wearing only a black vest and pants insinuating his bulging muscles and perfect figure. His weapon of choice is a pair of caestus equipped in his left and right hands.
June stopped running to conserve stamina and walked towards me when he is at a semi-ranged distance.
I did the same.
"Oh? You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?" he taunted.
He must be wondering as to why a support like me is opting for a 1v1 melee combat. It is all part of my plan to bait him though so he would not run away with the orb he has.
"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer," I replied nonchalantly
Sorry, I had to say it.
"Oh ho! Then come as you like!"
When we both are near enough to each other at melee distance, I focused intently on the enemy in front of me. Time seemed to slow down as I take in every bit of information I can to predict his movements. I flawlessly entered what most people call the 'zone', a state of extreme focus, but to me, it's as natural as breathing.
He made his move.
His right foot left the ground while his left arm's muscles twitches ever so slightly. I saw his eyes lock on my head without hesitation. Based on his small movements, I predicted that he was going for a dash and launch a quick yet powerful straight at my head with a minuscule chance of it being a fake. I instinctually analyzed his motions based on my thousands of hours of experience in playing PVP.
He is underestimating me, opting for full forced aggressive strikes without any prompting jabs which leaves many openings to exploit. He probably thought that I have no means to inflict damage onto him this close because I'm a spellcaster.
I took advantage of his aggressiveness.
I calmly took a step forward while he stomped his right foot on the ground in front of me and threw his long-reaching straight corkscrew punch at my head. As his attack was about to connect, I tilted my head ever so slightly while at the same time twisting my body in preparation for my counterattack. His punch barely flew past my face. I felt in my cheeks the air pressure of his punch, a testament to how strong and close it was to hit but it didn't quite connect just as he had hoped.
I launched the counterattack I prepared at almost the same time I dodged his attack. I saw his eyes widen in shock at the realization as I twirled my staff for the added momentum then whacked his unguarded head.
*Whack*
"Guhh!"
GigaChad
Hp: 81%
I expected more damage than that since I have plenty of dex stats even as a support. It was a critical strike to the head with my full force. The fact that I am not a DPS-oriented character shows. If I just have one of my old red weapons, a hit like that would've been fatal.
"Wha- you!" he became agitated.
I saw his facial expression shift into irritation as he prepared for another attack. He is at point-blank range now since he had just taken a step closer to me in his last attack. He sent a quick 1-2 punch combo at my head. I titled my head slightly to my right to dodge his 1st jab then quickly bobbed down my head to dodge his second full-swing punch while simultaneously delivering an elbow blow to his stomach. That made him flinch and take a step back giving me the perfect distance to swing my staff at his head for another critical hit.
*Whack*
"Ghaa!"
GigaChad
Hp: 57%
He took a distance from me and eyed me warily. It seems he's being cautious now. He's starting to see me as a threat that can kill him in melee combat and not just a healer that can be dealt with easily. I can't let that happen though.
"Are you sure you should be wasting time? Elizabeth is almost finished taking the orb."
His initial plan was probably to eliminate me fast enough before Elizabeth backs me up and then have a 1v1 match with her.
"Tsskk!"
He panicked since he realized he would not stand a chance in a 2v1 fight given my skills. Desperate and unfocused minds make unwise decisions. In his case, he used his trump card, his weapon skill. When his fists started to glow, I knew instantly what his weapon skill does. Experiencing thousands of PVP matches back then makes it so that nothing can ever surprise you. He lunged at me as his caestus glowed bright yellow and then threw a barrage of strong punches.
"Ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora! ora!" he shouted
But it was still not fast enough, I've seen techniques that are harder to dodge far above his level of skill and utilization.
I dodged all of it.
"I-impossible!" He shouted
I saw his expression change into a mix of fear and admiration as I prepared for my attack.
The weakness of his weapon skill is that there is 1 second after the barrage that he will be in a fatigued state, a state where he is unable to move. It might sound short but a second in a deadly melee can be the difference between life and death. I didn't waste a single second. I did a 360 sweep with my staff at his feet. He instantly fell flat on his back due to his fatigued state and I jumped as high as I could. With all my strength, coupled with all my body weight plus the gravity aiding me, I thrust the pointed end of my staff to his undefended head lying on the ground.
*Boom*
GigaChad
Hp: 0%
"......What a monst-".
He didn't get to finish his last words as he was immediately replaced by blue particles signaling his defeat. At the spot where his body was supposed to be, a glowing blue orb the size of a bowling ball appeared floating in the grave of its original owner. It was the orb located at the bottom part of the map that June took without any obstacle or threat. As I was about to take it Elizabeth arrived with her expression in complete shock and disbelief.
"What happened here........" she looked at the orb dumbfounded.
I remained silent as I don't know how to reply.
"Don't, don't tell me you beat him?" she inquired
"I was lucky."
"Lucky!? You beat him in short of a minute without taking any damage USING A SUPPORT character!" she exclaimed
Now that I think about it. If she put it that way, it does sound kind of suspicious.
I just shrugged.
".........Fine I won't pry if you don't want to tell me. Let us just take the orb and then help Romel, I think he's in trouble."
"What about the other one?" Barry was it. Forgot his name.
"Beny? He's already taken out. Didn't you see the system notification?"
"Ohh, must've missed it earlier." I was too engrossed in the fight with my full attention on the enemy.
I took the orb so that Elizabeth won't be too bothered by the increase in stamina consumption of carrying 2 orbs and we prepared to leave the area. It will take a while to get to the top lane. I hope we make it in time.
---------------------------
-Raynold's PoV-
Did you see it!? Did you see it, Raynold!? Katherine just defeated the enemy player! Were close to winning!" Lenna celebrated as she watches the match.
"Uh huh......" I replied dumbfounded.
"I didn't think Katherine would be able to beat June though."
"Beat June? She didn't just 'beat him' she demolished him! She mentally and mechanically outplayed him! She fucking destroyed him!" I exclaimed loudly
"Sheesh calm down you're exaggerating."
"I don't think you know how good of a play that is. The dodge for example was done with no wasted movement and chained perfectly to a counterattack. A counter that was aimed at the head resulting in the highest damage she possibly can. She also baited him to play offensively and forgo defense by the nature of being a healer. Most supports are naturally weak at melee since they're always at the backline and have low HP in exchange for mp. She took advantage of that common notion to punish his aggressive plays. The way she dodges too. Most players when they dodge, they either leap away to distance themselves from the attack or dodge with exaggerated movements which makes it hard to do a counterattack. But she dodges at the last second, with minimal movements as possible, baiting the opponent to think their attacks would hit so they become complacent and unprepared for enemy counterattacks. You've got to have numerous battle experiences to move like that. She either has insanely godly reflexes or she predicted all his moves or maybe even both! She moves as good as some amateur pro players I watch, or even better!" I ranted.
"Okay, okay stop I get it! Sheesh, You're such a nerd sometimes." Lenna admonished.
Hmphh! Casuals. They cannot appreciate a great play even when it is right in front of them. All that matters for them is the kills or the insanely flashy but unpractical moves like Meteor Strike or Thunderstorm. How disappointing that there's no one else with me here to appreciate that kind of outplay.
"But do you think they can win against that Chu guy?" Lenna asked
"Judging from how good they both are, I don't think they would lose to a single non-pro player 2v1."
"That's good to know!" Lenna said with a broad smile
"You seem happy." I inquired
"Of course, if they win you know what will happen next right?"
I smiled as I thought about what would come next
"Liz will treat us at the cafe!" She added
-------------------------------
-Chu's PoV-
"Hmph, you talk big but you don't have the skills to back it up." I taunted
NambaWan
HP: 84%
"It's......it's not over yet so don't get too cocky!"
KingRomel
Hp: 8%
He's already low, one more hit would probably kill him. What a disappointment, I was hoping for more of a challenge. I'm not satisfied with an opponent as weak as this.
"It seems your teammates are not as weak as you thought since they managed to wipe out all of mine. They might back you up if you survive a bit longer."
The notifications of my teammate's death happened about a while ago. The enemy is probably heading this way to help this guy. I'm sure that ranker girl will put up a challenge that this fool. The only reason I accepted June's offer is to have a bout with that famous female ranker I keep hearing about who is also a regular here.
"I don't need their help! I'm going to kill you right before they arrive!" he exclaimed
What a stubborn guy, he could've just retreated for now to regroup with his other teammate and push their advantage in numbers but his stubborn pride won't let him. I have to give him respect for that though he is an honorable opponent.
"Last Stand!" he let out a battle cry
His sword was then was covered in blood red aura that let off a dreadful atmosphere.
"......." I silently watched him
I was wondering what his claymore weapon skill was. So, it was a buff-type weapon huh? The last stand basically increases your damage as your health goes lower. Having only 8% of his HP remaining will dramatically increase his attacks to double or even triple his firepower. So, this is where his confidence comes from. Coupled with the innate damage potential of his claymore plus his weapon skill, one direct hit from him might instantly kill me. This is getting interesting.
He rushed at me; his buff only lasts for 30 seconds so he was on a timer. I can just kite him and stall for 30 seconds if I want a surefire way to win but I also don't have that much time, his backup might arrive any second. And besides, where is the fun in that?
As he was in melee distance, he did an overhead swing. His weapon is too large and his windup is too exaggeratedly long that it was pretty easy to dodge. Sadly, his battle spell only increases his power, not his speed. I took a step back and dodged his swing completely.
*Boom*
"Huh!?"
NambaWan
Hp: 79%
Shit! His swing was so strong due to his buff that it sent shockwaves around the impact of his strike. That was unexpected. Had he planned that attack from the start?
"Got you now!" He declared.
As my balance was off from the shockwave, he didn't miss the opportunity and did a side swing in an attempt to bisect me in half.
"Reversal!"
My weapon suddenly glowed white on the edges.
*Ting*
I positioned my twin butterfly sword to block his swing and used my weapon skill 'Reversal'. A normal parry would've surely sent me flying and probably fatally wound me but using my skill reversal sends the power of the attack right back at the enemy. It can only be activated if you can do a perfect parry. It takes a lot of skill to use but it is a skill of my red weapon that helped me climb the ranking leaderboard at 1v1. Sucks I have to use it though since its cooldown is pretty long. I was saving it for the later fight.
"Guahhh!" he cried
He flew a few feet away from me as he was damaged greatly by the force of the impact of his own swing.
KingRomel
Hp: 0%
"Damn!" he cried
"Don't feel too bad. It was a good last attempt."
As I was complimenting his last-ditch effort, he turned to blue motes of bright light and completely vanished from the playing field.
I've wasted enough time. I have to get the orb before his teammate arrives. I reminded myself
I rushed to the barrier and channeled to remove the barrier of the orb while paying attention to my surroundings for any surprise attacks. About halfway through channeling, I heard a voice.
"Thorn burst!"
A girl with a staff, presumably their healer tried to impede my movements with a spell. They're here already?
I canceled my channeling to dodge the skill. Shit, how unlucky. I would've finished breaking the barrier if I only had a couple of seconds more of uncontested channeling.
Just then I felt a foreboding feeling. I ducked instinctively.
*Whoosh*
"Tsk!" she exclaimed.
Another girl with the same face as the healer appeared holding a rapier in her hand. She is probably the ranker based on the bits of info I heard about her. So, the first attack was just a distraction for the real carry to finish me off when I least expect it, they have a good synergy. Her suddenly appearing instantly at my blind spot means she has a displacement skill. A blink or shadow step is more likely. That's a surprise though, I thought my teammates would've at least eliminated 1 of the 2 considering they have the numbers advantage. Either these 2 are good or my teammates are just that useless.
I leaped a few times back to get some distance as I pondered my choices. Hiding in the forest while firing some arrows at them to chip their HP is not possible since they have a healer and I will probably run out of arrows before their healer runs out of mana.
Melee it is then. I rushed to the healer
"Katherine is careful, he's going after you!"
How astute. She immediately put herself in front of me and her healer in an attempt to block my charge.
She thrust her rapier at me, but I dodged it at the last second and I followed it up with a quick dual stab.
she dodged the 1st stab and parried the other with her rapier but I was expecting it.
I delivered a straight kick. She managed to guard it with her free hand, but my blow overpowered her. she had a very nimble body type but is also a lightweight so my kick sent her flying.
"Khh!"
Lizbeth
Hp: 94%
Having achieved my purpose of separating the two, I instantly rushed at the unguarded healer in an attempt to eliminate her.
I can't waste this opportunity. I have to eliminate her quickly so I could have a bout with the ranker. I did the fastest combo of slashes I possibly can close to depleting my stamina.
"Hyahh!" I exclaimed
I did a quick 12-strike combo with my butterfly swords.
But what is this feeling, it feels like I'm trying to cut the air. Just as I thought that my slash was about to hit, she dodges it flawlessly. I have never fought anyone like this girl before.
None of my hits connected.
No, my last hit did connect but it
it only managed to scrape her chest making her distance herself a bit.
Beth
Hp: 92%
"Tsk! useless bag of meat," she murmured.
In my shock, I failed to realize that her teammate is already right behind me. With a sudden quick stab, she hit me in the back.
*Chack*
"Guhh!"
NambaWan
Hp: 42%
She prioritized my body instead of my head to make sure I didn't dodge this time, how laudable. My HP is going down and I don't even have a healer to mend me back to full health. And to top it off, they're both extremely skilled players. This is bad. I need to do something.
Just as I was recovering from the damage the rapier user dealt, the healer suddenly rushed at me. That was a bad move by her but I won't let this opportunity pass by. Now is my chance, my weapon skill just barely went on cooldown. If can create an opportunity to eliminate her with a well-timed skill, it will become a 1v1 match wherein I have a higher chance of winning.
She wound up her weapon preparing for an overhead swing. Perfect, I positioned my twin butterfly sword in the trajectory of her swing and activated my skill making my twin weapon's edges glow white.
Just as her staff was about to hit my weapon, she suddenly stopped it mid-swing and transitioned her attack into a side kick. A feint!
It caught me off guard and hit me in the sides. Did she know of my weapon skill? Did she predict I would use it at this exact moment or is it just a fluke?
Whatever the reason is, my posture got destroyed by that kick making me flinch.
"Now!" She yelled.
Just then the rapier user appeared right beside me. Shit! Her 'Shadow Step' skill just went on cooldown, and the healer knows it too so she created an opening for her.
The stab went through the back of my neck and I felt a very slight pain in that area.
"Guhh!"
NambaWan
Hp: 0%
"It was a Good Game," the ranker said in courtesy.
It was all I heard from my opponent before my vision went entirely black and annoying red letters showed at the center of it all reminding me of my own death. |
-A few years ago-
"Ohh here to visit your sister again?" Asked the familiar nurse I was passing by in the hallway.
"Yes ma'am, is she awake right now?" I inquired politely.
"She is, I just took her blood pressure a while ago. Your sister must be happy seeing you often." The nurse smiled at me.
"I think so..... Then, I'll go meet her right now."
"Ohh right sure, have fun and take care." The nurse gestured for me to go on.
I nodded and proceed to head to the intended room. After a short while of passing nurses and visitors alike, I arrived at my destination. I knocked reflexively, a habit of mine when visiting her room, and entered without even hearing her permission.
The smell of disinfectant with a mix of other chemicals assaulted my senses. The inside of the room was white and clean, decorated with the intent of being simple and pleasing to the eye. In the corner of the room is a therapeutic VR pod intended to ease patients' mental states especially those prohibited to leave the room due to medical reasons.
A pale girl lying on an inclined bed rest in the center of the room holding a tablet. She has long brown hair, soft brown eyes, and a smile plastered on her face. She was always cheerful and bright, though I don't know how much of that is a facade to not make us worry any more than we do. She is 2 years older than me but her childish demeanor coupled with her cute looks and frail body makes people think that I'm the older one. Most people say we don't look alike (Her facial features and hair color resembles our mother whereas I got my sharp blue eyes stoic looks and black hair from my father). We instead have the same interests though which include mostly gaming and watching movies and anime. I probably just acquired my hobbies from her cause we always spend time together ever since we were little and her body prevents her from having any strenuous hobbies making gaming one of the few choices for her in the hobbies department.
"Sup, sis." I greeted her as I saw her.
"Ohh good you're here! Come here, come here look at this." The girl, my sister, beckoned me to come near with exaggerated movements.
I sat in the bed close to her, curious about why she was making such a fuss.
"Kat look at this it's so cute! Right, right?" She excitedly said while showing me a video.
It was a video of a puppy trying its hardest to climb the stairs while failing spectacularly..... My God, it IS adorable!...... Wait calm down Kat, act mature.
"Yeah it's ok, I guess," I replied with restraint.
Our appreciation for cute things is also the same, though I don't act as childish as her.
"I want a puppy too, I'll ask mom if I can get one later." She declared.
"I don't think they even allow pets in the patient's room." I countered.
"Hmph, you're always such a killjoy Kat."
"No, I'm just stating facts."
"Yeah, and that is the definition of being a killjoy." She said with finality.
I'm pretty sure it's not, but I keep it to myself. I can never win an argument against her since she is not confined to any rules. She even makes the rules herself if I'm to be honest.
"Oh, I just remembered that I have something to show you!" She said as she swiped and pressed her tablet to open her e-mail account.
"Is it another one of those e-mails you got saying you won a million dollars?" I deadpanned.
"I-it's not that, and I told you that was the last time that I'll fall for a scam like that!" She visibly reddened
After a short while, she handed me the tablet with an expectant look. "Here, read this."
I took the tablet from her and read the contents.
Dear Ms. Katyusha
We are pleased to inform you that your application for the beta test program has been approved. Be one of the first to take part in Champions of Andartha before it would be open to the public. We appreciate any feedback, suggestions, criticisms, or concerns you may have during this trial period and encourage you to voice them out to our team so that we may continue to provide you with the best gaming experience we possibly can.
Sincerely yours
Champions of Andartha team
*Please Note that the beta key and download link are provided below this letter*
I looked at her with awe while she instantly made a smug face, which in turn dampened my amazement.
"How did you even manage to get this?" I asked unbelievably.
V-Tech, the creator of the full dive VR technology and also the company behind the CoA team was said to have funded the game with millions of dollars, They also have gone wild in their publicity, promising their players that they will experience the best VR technology has to offer. They are even planning to release new VR pods that will complement the game. If you're an avid gamer, it's impossible for you to not have heard of this since it is even featured in local news outlets.
"I have my ways, and also a whole lot of time in my hands," She said smugly as if that was something to be proud of.
"Are you sure it's not a scam?" I ask incredulously.
"Of course! What do you take me for? I learn from my mistakes you know."
I guess it looks legit, and it also doesn't as for any personal info or bank accounts.
"How many keys do you have?" I asked curiously.
"I uh, only managed to get one.... Sorry. I'll share my account with you though so we could level it together. Playing for 2 hours a day is the most the nurses would let me anyways." She said regretfully.
"Sure, sounds good. Send me the account info after you create an account so I can play it at home." I replied with a grin.
It's not the first time we shared an account due to her circumstances. I'm the one mostly doing the leveling when we share accounts though.
"What should we name it?" She inquired.
"I'll leave it up to you, I'm bad at names." I shrugged.
"Ohh okay I already have something in mind"
"What?"
"A name that means 'hero' in Japanese and also close to our surnames." She riddled
"Out with it already," I said impatiently.
"Yuusha" she smiled.
---------------------------------------
"You're here again? You always come here almost every day."
"What, are you tired of seeing your cute little sister?" I quipped.
"Cute?
P
ffft, cute is the last thing I would describe you, more like obnoxious." She giggled at her own joke
Not funny.
"But seriously, don't you hang out with your classmates after school or something? Like a normal high school girl?"
I'd rather spend time with her though. I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that our time together is limited, especially after overhearing my parents talk about her worsening heart condition. I won't talk about it obviously since I don't want to ruin the mood.
"Nah I'm good, going out with them is pretty troublesome and tiring. I'd rather relax here." I reasoned.
"Are you sure you just don't have any friends at your school?" She teased.
"W-wha, of course, I do, I'm even quite popular since most of the clubs want to recruit me to their team!" I defensively denied her claim.
And that's not even a lie, my kinetic vision and reflexes are top notch so I excel at any sports I try.
"Sure sure whatever you say, Ms. Loner." She said unconvinced.
"Urkk"
My pride took a blow by that
"Ohh by the way, earlier when I was playing CoA, someone PMed me demanding a rematch. Do you know what that was about?"
It has been a few months since the official release of CoA. All of the hype it garnered and all the mentions it received on the internet made its launch a total success and amassed millions of players worldwide just in its first month. It also lived up to its hype as the most realistic VR experience up to date. No current game is even close to comparable to it in the realism department. We both continued to use the same account we created back in the beta test since there are tons of benefits and rare sets we got from the perks of being a beta tester. I also don't want to repeat the grinding I went through. Besides, I'm more focused on PVP right now since it's infinitely more fun than grinding or battling NPCs.
"Not sure, I can't even count the number of players I beat in the past week. What's his IGN?"
"I think it was, Zetta or something?"
"Ohh, I remember him, I barely won against him in my last rank match yesterday before I logged out. His pride probably got wounded since I recall that he's in the top 10 rank of 1v1. What did you say in response?"
"Nothing, I just ignored him but he's so persistent so I blocked him. Nobody likes persistent guys." She giggled.
"Huh too bad, he might be a good sparing partner. I'll just unblock him later and accept his request."
"You really are focused on PVP these past weeks huh."
"I guess. I'm planning to join the Andartha Cup." I confessed
"Really! I heard the prize pool was a million dollars for the champion, even though it's split into 4 team members, it's still quite a large sum of money. They really are adamant about making the game an eSports success huh. This much prize pool will entice many new players to the game"
I'm more interested in the prestige of winning the tournament than the money though. Sure the money is a plus(a very big one at that) but my main reason is to immortalize the character my sister and I use. A proof that our bond existed at some point and cement it in a game that I am certain will leave its mark in history. It's quite sentimental I know but that's how I feel. I won't tell it to her though since I'm sure she'll just make fun of me.
"Yeah, if you help me with the gears, I'll give you half the prize I get so how's that." I offered.
Though our parents are the ones who are probably going to manage the money if we ever place high enough to earn significant amounts, but I won't tell her that.
"Really! then I'd better research on how to get some of the hard-to-find unique weapon skills then." She said excitedly.
"Sure, but don't push yourself too hard though. We still have 3 months to prepare." I worriedly replied.
"No biggie, I've got nothing to do much here anyway." She gave me a melancholic smile.
-----------------------------------
I briskly walked into the hallway eager to arrive at my destination while ignoring the familiar nurse that called out to me. I normally don't act that rude to others but I have something I needed to confirm badly. I caught many curious stares as I continued to walk frantically toward the room my sister was in. Usually, I would be too flustered and mindful of the commotion I was garnering but I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to even care the slightest. As I arrived at my destination, I entered the all too familiar room without knocking.
"Ohh yo-"
"I heard from dad that you'll be having a heart operation next week." I cut her off mid-sentence
"I know, what bad timing, right? Exactly the same date as the online tournament. You guys worked hard through the qualifiers but I might not be able to watch the main stage." She said apologetically.
"I don't care about that!" I shouted. "I heard there is a chance that your body might not survive the process."
".....Yeah, I always had a weak constitution and hypoplasia since I was born." She paused for a bit as if preparing what to say next.
"The doctors say it's even a miracle that I survived up until now with my body being this fragile and that there is a chance my body could not take the strain of the operation." She smiled sadly.
After a short while, her melancholic face did a 360, back to being her bubbly self.
"But it's not that bad! It's more than a 60 percent chance of success or so they say, I guess I'll have to pray to the RNG gods so that they would bless me!" She joked.
"I....." I croaked feeling breathless.
"I know what your thinking but please continue the tournament. It's not fair if I'm the only one fighting that day, don't you think so too? Besides, I won't forgive myself if I'm the reason you forfeited this, we've worked hard for this remember? Not only us but our teammates too, I would feel very bad for them."
"......I understand."
"It's settled then let's both win our fight next week okay? Pinky promise!" She held out her hand.
I took her hand, intertwining it with mine. I held on to this sensation for a while, feeling her soft, fragile hands as if it was a precious treasure. It took a while before I crossed my pinky finger with hers.
".......Promise." I declared with renewed determination.
Author's Note:
You can also check my story at Scribblehub or RoyalRoad for advanced chapter since I sometimes forgot to update here. I have some kind people help me edit in those sites so i prioritize posting there. |
I woke up normally. I didn't set up my alarm since I don't have to wake up early for school today. I checked the time and saw that it was already 10:27 a.m., it was still too early. Well, too early for me on weekends. Liz said they will be arriving after lunch since the match is at 3 p.m. Remembering that my friends will visit my house later in the afternoon, my drowsiness vanished.
I'll just cook up a quick breakfast before cleaning my apartment room. I thought to myself.
After eating my brunch, I cleaned my plates and proceeded to organize my apartment which is usually messy since I'm too lazy to tidy it. I can't have them thinking that I'm actually this disorganized. Changing the sheets, dusting the floor, spraying some air freshener, and cleaning my apartment took a lot of time. I opened my phone to check the messages from our group chat to see if they were on their way here.
Liz
: We're heading there right now, I'm excited to see the match with you Kat!
Lenna
: I'm with Liz right now and we will both arrive in a couple of minutes. Save some snacks for us ;)
Katherine
: You sure you guys don't need me to get you at the station?
I replied.
Liz
: No need, we got this. We have goo*** maps after all and you already told us your complete address. It'll be a walk in the park.
I closed the messenger and open another app. A couple of minutes later while watching cute cat videos on my phone, a call came. It was Liz. I let it ring a couple of times before answering it so it makes her think I'm actually busy and not holding my phone 24/7.
"What's up?" I asked.
"The guard told us to wait in the lobby to verify if we are really your guests."
Ohh I forgot about that, this apartment complex is usually strict especially for unfamiliar people for safety reasons. It is one of the reasons why mom lets me live here on my own in the first place.
"Wait a sec, ill head down there now."
I immediately hang up and then proceed to go to the ground floor.
I notice them sitting in the lobby intended for the guest.
"Liz, Lenna," I greeted them.
"Kat!" Liz said excitedly.
"About time," Lenna smiled.
"They are with me, can we enter now?" I asked the receptionist in the lobby politely.
"Of course miss Katyusha. Please forgive the delay. It's just our policy to not let unfamiliar guests in." he replied.
"No, it's alright, It's my fault that I forgot to mention them beforehand," I said placatingly.
"Well, then let's go?" I said as I led the way to the elevator.
Liz and Lenna followed suit. The both of them surveyed the ground floor as we headed for the elevator. After we entered the elevator currently devoid of people since its a relaxing weekday, Lenna suddenly talked.
"Wow, I didn't expect your apartment complex to be this lavish. Ohh! Are you secretly a CEO's daughter or something?" Lenna said with amusement.
"You're exaggerating, It's not that luxurious. It has a good ambiance and is always well maintained so you get a good bargain for your bucks since the price is not actually that high. Their market target is just the upper middle class, not the billionaires." I explained.
Besides, were not short on money since mom and dad earns well and I also got the cash prize from the 1st AC to pay for it. Though my teammates and I had to split it into 4 so it's not really a life-altering amount of money compared to the prize now.
"Well, what matters the most is that it's safe and secure." Liz chimed in.
"Yeah, that's what my mother says too"
We chatted as we head towards my apartment room. After arriving at the front door of my apartment, I beckoned them to enter
"This is my apartment room, come inside"
They entered unceremoniously and then took in the view of my living room. I'm glad I cleaned it earlier.
"Wow, what a nice place you got here. It is neat and tidy." Lenna praised
"Yeah, it also has a relaxing ambiance and music too!" Liz exclaimed.
"Anyways let's head to my room for now"
I lead them to my room just on the opposite side of the kitchen.
"This is my room"
I opened my room and we head inside, a 15x18 feet room with a personal bathroom. A closet next to the door with a mirror right beside it. Next to the bed is various decorations placed on a standing wall table. Most of the decorations are cute stuffed toys and other miscellaneous adorable decors that I think would look well in a room.
At the other side of the door is the entrance to the bathroom. At the center of the room is a small table that is placed on top of a relatively comfortable carpet. On the far corner is my desktop pc, It rarely sees any use nowadays since I mainly play VR games now, but I still use it sometimes for projects or school assignments.
"Ohh, your room is clean and comfy. Mine's always messy since I rarely clean it myself." Liz suddenly said.
"Yeah, it's also quite....girlier than I thought it would be. You should have a look at Liz's room. It's full of toys." Lenna giggled.
"Haa? What did you just say? Did you just call my prized CoA figurine collection toys? Do you want to end our friendship that badly?" Liz bickered.
"And listen to this! She even has that limited edition Yuusha schoolgirl uniform figurine she keeps bragging about to me nonstop like a national treasure when she got it!"
"Of course! It's the hardest figurine you could get, I was super lucky that I got the last one before it run out! Die-hard male fans of Yuusha would kill for it since it is the only figurine available where you can see her panties!" Liz rattled off.
My cheeks suddenly reddened. Good thing they didn't notice since they're both busy bickering, but I mean, what the heck! Is that even legal!?
But I suppose there was some kind of terms and conditions that allowed them to have all the monetization rights to the characters of their game or something when you first start the game. But I mean, nobody reads that so it's like cheating. Curse you and your greedy conglomerate company ways V-tech!
Suddenly, the doorbell rang distracting me from my thoughts.
"I'll go get it, wait here for a bit," I said as I quickly head towards the door.
I don't recall having any visitors today except these two. But I doubt the security would let anyone suspicious in, so it could only be either my parents or my aunt.
I arrived at my front door and looked at the CCTV screen attached to the side that focuses on the door.
It was my mother.
I opened the door and she greeted me with a loving smile.
"How's my baby? Are you having any difficulties here on your first week here?" she asked
"Of course not, I'm old and responsible enough to live by myself you know," I rebuked.
"By the way, is dad not with you?" I continued.
"Ohh your dad has an important meeting to attend, so I'm the only one here visiting you today." She regretfully said.
"....I see"
While mom has been overprotective since my sister left this world, my dad allocated all his free time at work, attempting to change all his grief into productivity. At first, I thought that I was the only one affected by my sister's passing but it became apparent that my parents are greatly impacted by it too, it's just that we each had different ways of coping with it. I'm just the weakest one out of us three so I'm the only one experiencing panic attacks. It was naive of me back then to even think that they don't care about my sister at all. I guess I'm not as mature as I thought I am.
"Ohh by the way, I heard from Carlos you had visitors!" Mom bought me out of my musings.
Carlos was the name of one of the guards in this apartment. Mom has always been chatty and social (the complete opposite of me) so she probably got the information from talking to him.
"Uhuh, they came to hang out".
"Ohh I want to see them," she said excitedly.
I have a bad feeling about this. But I don't think I have a concrete reason to decline nor the choice to since she will just barge into my room anyways.
"Fine, they're in my room," I said as I led mother to my bedroom.
I opened the door and saw Liz and Lenna looking at some of my stuff and decorations.
They noticed I have someone else with me so they instantly straightened their back and stood up.
"Mom, these are my friends Elizabeth Miles and Lenna Taylor. Guys, this is my mother," I introduced them to each other.
"My my, aren't you kids gorgeous!" My mother cried out.
"Thank you, You look beautiful as well Mrs. Katyusha" Liz replied politely.
"And polite too it's hard to believe my daughter made such wonderful friends like you girls. I was skeptical at first when I heard she has her friends here. She never bought any of her friends home, you girls must get along pretty well."
I don't like the way this conversation is going. My instinct is telling me to cut off their conversation. But it would be quite rude, so doing that would be out of the question.
"Well, we're pretty grateful to Kat too, she's dependable and always takes care of us." Liz politely said
"That's good to hear, ohh you can have some cake I bought whenever you're hungry. It's Kat's favorite cake from a famous bakery back at Ardmore."
"It.... is? I thought she doesn't like sweets?" Liz asked dubiously
Oh yeah, I remembered telling them that back at the cafe to look more mature.
"Oh of course she does. I bought two cakes since she can easily finish 1 whole cake all by herself. She always eats a lot whenever she sees sweets. She also likes it more if they have some sort of cute designs on them."
My face instantly flushed. To be fair, their serving is not that big so I can eat it by myself, and having a good visual presentation for a food makes it more desirable right? I can hear Lenna snickering in the background. Thanks, mom you always were really good at embarrassing your own daughter unknowingly, It might even be called a talent at this rate.
"Ohh you girls want to see some photos of Kat when she was younger? She was so adorable back then!"
Ok, that's enough, drastic times call for drastic measures. I have to do something now that it's come to this. My image will be in shatters if this keeps up, I have to salvage whatever's left of it somehow.
"M-Mom, we're going to watch the match now. You can just bother us later." I cut her off.
I pushed my mother (quite gently if I might add) out of my room to prevent any further destruction of my well-maintained image.
"Ohh alright you girls have fun! Remember to call me if there's any problem, I'll just be in the living room watching tv.
I shut the door after my mother left my room. looking right behind me I can see both Liz and Lenna smiling at me playfully.
I sigh
"Let's just watch the game."
-------------------------------
The three of us are laying in my bed with Liz sandwiched in the middle of me and Lenna, luckily the bed is quite big and can fit us three though it is still a little cramped so we're compressing to fit. We passed the time talking about school-related stuff and watching random videos on my and Liz's laptop. I took a look at the time at the bottom right side of my laptop. it is 2:58 already so the match should be starting soon.
"The match is about to start. let's open the streaming site."
Liz apparently noticed it too since she had already opened the site on her laptop.
"I want to eat some snacks while watching" Lenna chimed.
"No eating in bedrooms, especially mine." I admonished
"But I'm hungrrryyy, please just this one time?"
I sigh.
"Fine, I'll go grab some chips and whatever mom bought, but try not to make a mess while eating," I warned
"Yes! thanks Katherine you're the best!"
"Yeah, yeah"
I went to the kitchen to pick up some of the snacks my mother bought. I picked a couple of chips and packaged caramel popcorn (one of my favorites) then went back upstairs.
"This is Lumen your host along with my 2 panelists for this game to help us break down the intricacies of this match. Dr.AnaList and Rainstorm."
I heard the introduction of the panelist signaling the start of the live stream match. I haven't followed the pro scene that much for more than 2 years but I remember Lumen and Rainstorm. Lumen is in the mid to late 20s and is a beautiful brunette that has quite a lot of followers for her outspoken and polite personality. Rainstorm on the other hand is a pro player from the days I was active, I even fought him once in the 1st Andartha cup. He has medium-length hair, a serious-looking face, and a pale white complexion contributed by the fact that he probably seldom goes out into the sun and only plays VR as most pro gamers do. He must have retired recently and become a panelist talent.
"Kat, come fast! It's starting" Liz excitedly called out.
I lay down on my bed and then handed them the snacks which they both gratefully accepted. After that, we listened to the panel's take on the match.
"Let us first ask the question that the viewers would like to know, who do you think will win?" Lumen asked her co-workers
"Me personally, I would like team NG to win. We all know that I've been rivals with Tactical ever since I can remember and I can confidently say that I know how dangerous his strategies can be. But considering their recent declining past performances and their concurrent lackluster individual and mechanical skills, a good strategy can only take you so far. Also considering team Atelier's stellar improvement this season, I bitterly have to give my vote to team Atelier for this one." Rainstorm explained.
"I have to agree with you there Rainstorm, There is a saying that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Even if team NG has a tactical advantage, if they get outplayed individually and failed to execute their strategy then things will easily fall apart for them. Also, I do not want to bet against team Atelier's rising ace Murasame who is undoubtedly the best female pro gamer this season. People even call her the next Yuusha, but she will have to have an Andarta cup title under her belt for both of them to be even comparable." Dr.AnaList analyzed
That got me intrigued. Team Atelier is a fairly new team before I quit playing. I can recall that they were created for the sole purpose of marketing idol streamers and pro gamers so all their members are attractive and quite famous among the CoA fanbase. I remember they didn't do very well when they debuted and lost most of their matches but still garnered a very high fanbase because they are all popular female streamers. I didn't pay much attention to their roster but I can confidently say that they don't have this 'Murasame' player back then.
"Who is this Murasame?" I asked Liz
"You don't know her? She's Murasame 'The Unseen Blade'. Real name 'Aoi Yamamoto', 22 years old. She was the Japanese women's kendo champion before she became a pro gamer. Her slashes are so fast that you won't even be able to follow them! Her hobbies are Tea ceremonies and gardening. She also likes listening to relaxing music. She's soft-spoken but can be very blunt sometimes. Her three sizes are-."
"Wait, wait, wait! How do you even know all this stuff? Are you her stalker or something?" I eyed Liz dubiously.
"That IS suspicious. I didn't think you would stoop so low to be a stalker. As your best friend, I'm so disappointed I wasn't able to correct you on the right path boo-hoo." Lenna fake cried.
"I'm not a stalker! You can find all of their public information on team Atelier's site. And besides, she's a streamer too, I need to know who my competitors are and also take notes from them." Liz denied my accusation.
"She's a streamer too?" I asked
Judging from what I heard about her personality, she doesn't seem to be the type to do streams.
"Team Atelier's organization requires their players to stream so she streams sometimes but she rarely talks even on stream and just plays PVP. She still has the second highest stream followers next to Yuna though." Liz recounted.
"Before we start, here is a quick advertisement from one of our sponsors." Lumen's voice from the stream video caught our attention.
Suddenly a well-crafted commercial advertisement played in the stream. All the while the stream chat is spamming sellouts and the like. Likely mocking the ads. After the advertisement Lumen continued.
"Keep in mind that 20% of the sales of our products will go directly to the prize pool of this year's Andartha's Cup. So what are you guys waiting for? Buy as many figurines, t-shirts, and merch of your favorite pro players as you can so that you will also be supporting them at the same time!" Lumen advertised.
"And now let's head over to our casters DJ Riot and ParaTrooper for the start of the match!" Lumen announced. |
I miss home.
I miss the mountains. Steep, rocky, covered in coniferous trees. Snowy peaks reaching into the heavens.
I like it here. The air is new. I'm not bored here. Home was boring.
I miss my dog. My dog is at home. She used to sleep in my room, at the foot of my bed. She didn't like it when any part of the family wasn't there. Now, she is at home. I am not at home.
It is lush here. The air is wet. The countryside is covered in green. The city glows bright. In the city, there is a library. I like to go there. It is big, and there are lots of books. I like the books, but I don't know how to read them. The people in the library are quiet. I like quiet people. When the people here talk, I can't understand what they are saying. I don't know what they are saying. I can't know what they are saying. Will I ever know what they are saying? Quiet people are easier. Quiet people are better. People who talk are too much work. People who talk make it hard for me to think. When people talk, nothing makes sense. My thoughts don't make sense. That's why I like quiet people.
Sometimes, at home, people asked me if I liked someone. I didn't like anyone. I never liked anyone. There was nothing to like about any of them. Now, here, people ask me if I want to date someone. I don't want to date anyone. But I like to look at the cute boys. I like to sit and watch them from afar. And I like when the boys look back at me. I never liked the boys back home. I couldn't like the boys back home. But the boys here are good. The boys here are cute. But I don't want to date them. Boys are too much work. Dating is too much work. I have too much work. There is so much work. I can't keep up. I can't breathe. I can't see clearly. I can't hear clearly. It's all just noise.
The noise is so loud.
My room back home was clean, usually. It wasn't always clean. Sometimes there was paper scattered on the floor. Sometimes there was trash on the desk. Often, it was clean. Here, my room is not clean. There is clutter. So much clutter. I don't know what's in my room. I don't know how things got there. I don't know how the gnats and mosquitos got there. I don't know when I first started seeing the larvae. When I eat, I think of the larvae. Then I can't eat anymore. When I look at my food, I see a potential home for larvae. I hate the larvae.
I like to look out the window here. The outside is new. The air is new. The air is wet. I like to look at the lights outside the window. The lights are pretty. They glow purple and red and green and blue and white and yellow and orange. I've never seen so many lights. I like the lights. The gnats also like the lights out the window. I don't like the gnats. I didn't like looking out the window at home. The outside was dull. There weren't pretty lights to be seen. Home was boring. But there weren't gnats.
What is home?
Was home really home?
When was the last time I really was home?
I don't want to go back just yet.
I'm not homesick.
Unlike them, I'm not homesick.
I just miss what I had.
I just miss home. |
The sun would be shining brightly through the window. Kenjin would open his eyes. he looked around him. He'd see that he was in a bedroom of sorts. As he looked down at the lower half of his body he would notice that he had been wrapped in bandages. He'd sit up and look around the room he was in. The room would be decorated with beautiful flowers in glass vases. "Where the hell am I?" Kenjin thought to himself. As he stood up he would walk to the door at the end of the room. He would open the door and would enter a hallway with 4 other doors. As he walked down the hallway he would enter a large room with a dining table.
An old man would be sitting at the head of the table. "Who is this guy? and is he... sleeping?"
Kenjin thought to himself. As Kenjin walked up to the old man, he would feel a cold sensation throughout his entire body. Kenjin would wave his hand in front of the old man's face to see if he is awake. The man would suddenly grab his wrist and would yawn.
"Oh, so you are finally awake? Sit, you need to eat to regain your strength." The old man said as he stood up. The man had a long black coat on. Under the black coat, he had a black shirt. His hair was pitch-black and covered his eyes, most of his upper face, and a mustache. "Wait, what? I don't even know you, I don't trust you, and I am not eating anything from you!" Kenjin said with an angry and confused look on his face.
"What's your name boy?" the old man asked. "Why should I give you my name?" Kenji stuttered. Suddenly Kenjin would feel the same cold sensation from earlier throughout his entire body. "W-What the hell, is this feeling!?!" Kenjin thought to himself, as he falls to his knees. "What's your name boy?" the man asks again, Looking down at Kenji.
"It's Kenji-." He would be cut off by the man. "Kenji, I see. I'll remember it." said the man.
The intense cold would slowly disappear. "I will bring you food, but you might want to act nicer to your rescuer." said the man with a smile on his face. The man would turn around, walk back to his seat at the table and sit down. He would clap his hands twice. Suddenly the door behind him opens, and 2 baskets of fruit float into the room and onto the table.
the baskets of fruit are followed by 2 baskets of bread, a glass of wine, and water in a wine glass. Kenji looks at all the delicious food floating in, with a face filled with shock and awe.
"I..I..I... I see. I now know what happened." Kenji said slightly smiling with his eyes closed.
"There is only one explanation... I must have died in that desert. and this must be heaven.
So you must be God then!!!" Kenjin said with a smirk on his face while pointing to the man.
"There is no way this is real... SO MUCH FOOD!!!" Kenji yelled out as he stood up from his chair and spread his arms in the air.
"I would have to work over 500 lifetimes if I were to ever have enough to buy this... MUCH... FOOD!." Kenjin said as he sat back down.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" The man would start to laugh loudly.
"No this is not heaven, and no I am not God. And I am surprised you did not notice that it flew in." The man said smiling.
"Yeah! Wait a minute how did you do that?." Kenji would reply shocked.
"My weapon." the man would say.
"I get the feeling that you are about to ask me how to do that. Do not worry there is no need to ask because I will not show you. You are too young and bearing a "Zerstörung"
is an offense punishable by death." said the man. His tone was suddenly so serious.
"What's a Zestarund?" Kenji would ask, with a confused look as he takes a bite of a piece of bread.
"It's called a Zerstorung, but that's just a fancy way of saying a weapon of mass destruction."
the man said.
As the man would continue eating he would start to explain more:
"They usually come in the form of swords, battleaxes, shields, spears, and bows.
They are mainly used by powerful kingdoms to battle each other. Due to them being forged with materials from the Stormfront."
"Stormfront? what's that?" Kenji would ask while stuffing his mouth full of bread and fruits.
"You are joking? The Stormfront is the barrier of the world. Some people like to call it the
edge
of the world
. It is the most dangerous place in the world. the area before the storm itself is invested with dangerous creatures, clouds that rain down acid, tornados, sinkholes, tsunamis, intense sandstorms, and blizzards. Many places in this world are referred to as hell. But that stretch of land right before the storm. makes all those other places seem like a paradise.
And then you have the storm itself. Not many people have made it into the storm.
But one group managed to enter and wrote about the winds being so fast it could tear straight through solid diamonds. And if that won't kill you the never-ending lighting will. It is said that lightning strikes 1.500 times per minute, every day for 364 days.
And this does not even include the horrific beast that lives inside the storm. The storm is said to be originated from that beast that circles the
known
world. Due to the high-speed winds, an ore called Thormspar is created. Weapons forged from Thormspar are rare and expensive so they are usually only bought by kingdoms. But this is where all logic stops. When a user of a Thormsparite weapon uses it to kill another living being, the weapon will be born, as in it will become sentient. When a weapon is born it needs to take lives for it to grow. After a certain amount of kills, the weapon will evolve and develop certain abilities depending on the user. This process is referred to as Weapon growth." The man explained.
"Old man. I want one of these weapons as well. I was exiled from my home, they were transporting me to a prison far away when we were attacked by a giant monster. I am grateful that you saved me from that desert, and I know I owe you my life but please I beg you show me how to use one of these weapons ." Kenjin begged on his knees, with his head placed on the floor. |
𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒻𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓃?
As the 4 captives look up at the sky, frozen in terror, the flying singularity would
suddenly launch into the ground, causing a large explosion of dust and rubble.
as Kenjin starts to get himself up and off the floor, he feels a breeze of warm breath
with an awful smell, as he slowly turns and looks to his left,
He would see a giant 4 winged avion-like creature, with 3 Heads, The middle head being a head of an eagle with the jaw of a crocodile, and both of the heads on the side being the heads of
a lion. Its entire body was covered in feathers, excluding the heads of the lions, with
5 large sharp black talons for each leg. The beast had 5 Rattlesnake tails that had sharp stingers at the end of each of the tails. On the inner side of the lower wings, there were two
giant squid eyeballs that stared intensely without blinking, the eyes were as large as the wooden shack Kenjin used to live in. The Creature itself was as tall as 2 wooden shacks and was as wide as 4.
As Kenjin was frozen in horror he could only move his eyes up and down the creature, as one thought raced through his mind over and over again.
"I'm gonna die, I-i'm gonna die, i'-m gonna die, i'm gon-na die."
As Kenjin looked down at the snout of the middle head, he could see that the monster was
chewing on something. Large amounts of blood would leak out from its snout while it was chewing, when suddenly he would suddenly see something shining through the blood.
"T-that's a....... THAT'S A HANDCUFF." He realized
"Wh-which one, w-ho, i'm gonna d-ie." Kenjin shock and fear could not let him focus on one thought. As the beast turned around and started to devour the horses with each of its heads,
a hand would suddenly cover Kenji's mouth and an arm would pick him up by the chest.
Kenjin attempts to look towards the side with his eyes to see who it is but is unable to as he is dragged away behind a rock.
After a few seconds, the hand and arm release their hold on Kenjin.
As Kenjin turns around he would see Gerard covered in bruises, with a hole on the right side of his cheek.
Gerard would cover Kenjin's nose, as well as close his own nose holes with his fingers.
He would signal Kenjin to follow him. They would start to crawl.
they would crawl to the next boulder and hide behind that one. As they begin their advance to the third boulder they hear a voice.
"H-help m-me."
They would look to their left and would see Mr. Bergenheiser crawling toward them with one arm. His left leg gone. Before Kenjin and Gerard could do anything the creature would leap over the boulder they were hiding behind and would land on top of Begenheiser.
They would hear chewing and snapping sounds.
Out of shock and fear Kenjin would instinctively get up and start to run in the opposite direction. as he started running the creature would turn its head and started roaring out of
all 3 of its heads. It would then start to flap its wings and dash forwards knocking the boulders out of its way. as it dashed passed Gerard its wings would slice through his flesh sending one of his legs and arms flying off as blood flew everywhere. As kenjin ran he would jump over a small boulder, accidentally hooking one of his feet against the boulder and he would trip into a small crack in the ground just wide enough for him to fit through. As the giant avion dashed by the wind pressure rush through the crack in the ground. The sky would suddenly be covered by dark clouds.
As the creature tried to stop its own momentum it would crash through a giant boulder causing the earth to tremble. As Kenjin felt the effects of the tremble. It would suddenly start to rain heavily, but it would be silent. No drop of rain would reach the ground to make a sound. the droplets of rain would evaporate before it even hit the ground. The sky would suddenly be lit up by lighting and Kenjin would hear the thunder strike close to him.
As Kenjin looks up at the sky he would see rain falling but never reaching him.
this would be interrupted by the vibrating of the stomps from the creature, as the creature roared Kenjin would look up through the crack and see a large amount of sand being blown over. Kenjin would hear the sound of flesh being torn and after a few seconds would feel the vibration of something heavy being dropped on the ground.
"Y-YOU BASTA-!!!" Kenjin would hear voice Gerard yelling. ten seconds later the sky would lit up again and Kenjin heard the sound of thunder.
Kenjin would slowly start to climb up and out of the crack in the ground.
he would peek his head out and look around. As he turned around he would see
a Giant eyeball right behind him. He would scream out of shock and rush out of the crack in the ground, and move backward. As he stood up ready to run he would suddenly stop.
as he looked passed the giant eyeball he would see that the entire area with the boulders has been destroyed. With his blood and sand-covered face, he would look at the body of the creature which now lays on the floor split into 2 chunks of its main torso. the area is covered by a pool of blood. 3 of the wings have been torn to pieces. One of the wings remains partially intact except for the giant hole in it. One of the eyeballs has been slit open and the insides leak out of it in a pool of blood.
"Wh-What the hell happened." Kenjin said with a shocked face covered in blood
As his eyes widened and he turned around and started running
as he thought back about how he was with Gerard and got frightened and started to run
leaving him.
"GERAAAAAAAAAARD!!!" he would yell while running. He would trip, and get up again as he took a left turn to the boulder where he last saw Gerard. while he was running he was thinking back on how kind Gerard was. As he was running he took a look to the left and stopped running. He saw Gerard sitting on a piece of rubble, as the sun was starting to set behind him.
"Gerard." He said with a smile on his face
He ran to Gerard and stopped. He looked at Gerard smiling.
As Gerard was sitting there and saying nothing, Kenjin stopped smiling and started crying.
As the sun completely set he saw Gerard's dismembered body. It was a hallucination of his shock that he saw Gerard. In reality, he was staring at his corpse.
"I- i am sorry, I- I - I- I- I'M SORRY!!!" Kenjin screamed as he was crying.
The tears streamed down his face and mixed with his blood.
He would get on his knees. The droplets of rain could not even reach him
as they were being evaporated by the desert. He would start screaming as he cried
pounding his fists again he would burn his fists on the sand burning his knuckles.
he would get up and would start to run away while crying and screaming, his vision would begin to get blurry. after an hour of running and crying turned to walking and crying.
As the heat began to get more intense further he walked, his lips would begin to pop and bleed under the extreme heat his, throat became completely dry, and his skin would start getting burned, even at night when normal deserts are freezing. even the tears in his eyes would begin to
evaporate, the blood on his face would start to boil, and his ears would start to ring as if the sound of classical music is being played. every single movement would hurt like hell, even things like breathing, thinking, and blinking would be absolute hell. Kenjin never thought his mind and body could be broken like this. In the slums, he was thought to ignore people and only interact with people who he trusts, but this is not the slums this is the outside world.
He must find his place in it or perish.
As Kenjin felt the crunching of glass beneath his feat he could see a raging wall of fire in the distance. The glass would begin the stick and burn through the underside of his feet.
As Kenjin looked up he could see a dark shape walking towards him. With every burning blink, the dark shape started to get closer and closer. Eventually standing in front of Kenjin.
The towering figure was a Skeleton in black robes with the shape of a beard carved into its boney chin. As Kenjin stumbled closer and closer to the figure reaching out his hand to try to grab onto it, his fingers would start to turn to ash leaving the bone. He reached out with his entire arm to try and grab but he is still not able to reach the dark figure. He collapses on to the floor right before the cloaked figure. As the cloaked figure tries to reach out to Kenjin with its boney arm, its arm would start to freeze over and turn to ice. As Kenjin looked up the last thing he would see before his eyes closed was the frozen hand of the boney dark cloaked figure in front of the raging wall of fire. As the arm of the figure shattered into tiny shards of ice Kenjin's eyes closed.
"What is the worst way to die? is it poison? starving? Being burned alive? crucifixion?
while all of those are all bad ways to die there is only one answer.
Drowning. People who drown to death often do so alone, even if they know how to swim they overestimate their own capability. Children are most at risk of drowning since it only takes a small amount of water to make them drown. When people who have drowned are pulled out from the water there is no sign of malicious intent. Drowning is just a simple result of our body being subjected to environments we were not built for. Corpses decompose differently than they do on land or perhaps in the poorest section of the kingdom. Bodies rise to the surface when they are drowned, surfacing with horrible deformities, the longer a body is not recovered the more distorted it will become. but while that might be unpleasant, i think the greatest factor of drowning torture is the tragedy of it all. One mistake, one mis step, one misjudgment, and your life is over. but water is not sentient, drowning is not sentient, it has no feelings emotion or judgment, nor does it have a purpose, that is to say
for most bodies of water
. But what if someone could control this non-sentient liquid as a tool?
As a weapon?"
"I-its completely dark. W-ho is this speaking to me? why don't I feel the heat?
it feels like I am floating in nothing." Kenji said. he would start to hear the sound of classical music start playing as a glimmer of light turns to a bright sun that chases the dark away.
Kenjin would open his eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED... |
"Don't lie to me boy." said the man staring daggers at Kenjin even though the man's eyes were covered by his hair.
"protection is not really why you want one of these weapons. Based on the way you are dressed, your attitude, and how you act around food, you must be from the slums of one of the kingdoms." He would say with a stern look on his face.
"Since you want one so bad I will grant your wish and I will give you one. But in return, you will have to do something for me. I want you to use the Zerst
o
rung to take care of something for me. I want you to assassinate a king for me." The man would say as he grinned.
Kenjin's eyes would widen." Y-Y-YOU WANT ME TO KILL A KING?!?" he said as he stood up with a shocked expression.
"H-how am I supposed to kill a king? And why do you want me to kill someone" He would ask.
"I have only killed to protect myself and Ryu. But he wants me to kill a Royal? But then again I guess I have no other option; even if I died nobody would care. If the world is this cruel to me then I will be just as cruel back" Kenjin would think to himself as a slight smile would cross his face.
"If you teach me how to use a Zerstorung I will do it but then again it would not matter if I died since I lost everyone so screw it ill do it." Kenjin would say as confident as ever. A smile would appear on the man's face.
"Good with that level of confidence maybe you will make it out alive. I'll introduce myself now. My name is Hibracan. Follow me let's begin." Hibracan said as he walked to the front door. He would open the door to a beautiful forest with spruce trees so tall that you could not even see the top.
"It will take a while to prepare you. First, you are going to go retrieve your weapon."
Hibracan said while pointing at a dirt path that was going through the forest.
"Now go." Hibracan said as he started walking back to the front door.
Kenjin would start to walk on the path through the forest. As he is walking it would start to slowly get dark. After what seemed like hours of walking Kenjin would look up at the sky and see that it was pitch black."W-what the hell not a single star in the sky. Well, that explains why it's so dark." He would think as looks back to see nothing but darkness. The only thing he could feel was the ground beneath his feet. He would start to walk faster bracing himself in case he bumps into something.
"I need to calm down and think, the ground from the path and the ground from the surrounding area are different. The path I originally saw at the cabin was sand and it still feels like I am walking on sand so the only thing I have to do is make sure that it still feels like sand."
he thought. As he is walking he would see light emitting from far ahead of him. Kenjin would start running toward the light and as he got closer he would start to feel strong continuous gusts of wind and would hear the rustling of leaves falling and wind blowing throwing the forest. As he comes closer he would see an open area illuminated by moonlight with one small tree in the middle. Kenjin would stop running and get on one knee while breathing heavily from exhaustion. He would look up at the moon that was illuminating the open area.
"T-these trees... I can't even see their top it's like they are endlessly tall." he would utter as he took a deep breath. He would get up and cover his face against the strong wind with his arm. He would start to walk toward the tree. As he is walking to the tree he would see swords everywhere, some stuck in the ground, some in the tree. Suddenly Kenjin would start to feel a chilling cold throughout his entire body. Every step Kenjin took would be like being crushed by a layer of mixed negative emotions.
" W-What the hell is this... It's like my nerves are being frozen. Is this fear? Shit, I need to focus on getting my weapon. I know He told me to retrieve my weapon but which one do I choose?" he thought to himself. Kenjin would approach a sword stuck in the ground. He would slowly reach out his arm and grasp the grip of the sword. Suddenly an intense wave of pressure would travel through his body forcing him to let go of the weapon. He would look at the palm of his hand in shock.
"Where the hell did these cuts come from?!?" he would shout as he looked at his hand that was covered in bloody cuts.
"Come on focus I got this!" he would shout as he grabs the grip of the sword and pulls with all of his strength. Another wave of pressure would reverberate throughout his entire body causing cuts to appear on his arm. He would unleash a vicious scream as he pulls on the weapon:
" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!" Kenjin would let go of the sword and drop to his knees from pain and exhaustion and would breathe heavily.
"T-this one didn't work... So I'll have to try all of them until one works." He said while stuttering and breathing heavily. He would start to go from blade to blade and try to pull them out but none of them would budge, his bloodcurdling screams echoing throughout the forest. Kenjin would be covered in blood and cuts. Kenjin would look at the trunk of the tree and see that it had a chain tied to it. Between the chain and the tree, there would be a short straight blade with no cross-guard. Kenji would see the weapon and stumble toward it. he would grab the chain with both hands and pull on it until it loosened and fell to the ground. The sword would drop to the ground as well. Kenji would crouch and move the chain out of the way with his hand to grab the sword but the chain would suddenly fling at Kenjin's right arm and wrap itself around it from the shoulder to the fingers. It would squeeze Kenjin's arm with immense pressure. Kenjin would reach out with his left arm and grab the sword. Bracing for an immense wave of pressure Kenjin would close his eyes but nothing happens no intense wave of pressure runs through Kenjin's body.
"D-did I finally do it? did I find my weapon? This must be it! Now I just need to find my way back." He would shout smiling.
Kenjin would walk back to the edge of the open area staring into the darkness of the forest.
"It's time to go home." He would say as he let out a sigh of relief. He would begin walking back through the darkness. Eventually, the light from the open area would start to fade away as the moon is covered by the trees, removing the only remaining bit of light left and sinking Kenjin back into pure darkness. Suddenly it would start to rain, Kenjin could hear raindrops and feel them on his skin as they mixed with his blood from the cuts. He would start to get colder. |
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I got up and took my stuff.
"Yo, Aaron!"
As soon as I heard the voice, I recognized it as Levi, my best friend. A relatively fit person with short straight black hair. He wore a t-shirt with our school logo and blue jeans.
"Hey man! What's up?"
"Come with me a sec. I gotta show you something."
Levi took me to a spot farther down the hallway. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture.
"No way! Tickets went on sale like 10 minutes ago. You already got them?"
"Hell yeah, dude! No way are we missing A-con this year! I hear it's gonna be even better than last time. Apparently, they're showing a preview for the Knights of Grim anime!"
That was something I
had
to see. Knights of Grim was the best manga series I'd ever read. The anime had to be just as good!
"Man, I'm already excited just talking about it!" I said.
"Same, this thing will be awesome!"
We fist bumped and Levi asked me,
"Speaking of Knights of Grim, has your Lucifer cosplay arrived yet?"
"No, but it's supposed to arrive today. What about
your
Cain cosplay?"
"Just came in yesterday, it looks freakin sick!" said Levi, scrolling to another picture on his phone.
"That looks sick, dude! It's even better quality than we thought!"
"Yeah, the body and pants are made of real metal!"
"That's awesome! I bet mine will look just as cool!"
"Totally, bro."
Another bell rang.
"I should get to anime club, don't want to be late"
"Sucks I can't join you, I'm busy with sports every day."
We said goodbye to each other, and I started walking away.
"First day of anime club... Man, I hope the people there aren't weird! Every anime club I've been to in the past sucked! But... that
was
in middle school. Hopefully, the people
here
are more mature." I thought to myself, putting away my things in my locker.
Levi is a great friend, but I was hoping to find more in anime club. See, anime is a bit of a niche, and it's hard to find people who are into it. Especially ones who enjoy the same shows you do. So to find other fans like me, I'm joining the anime club.
"Gotta head to room 214."
Despite being a sophomore, I didn't know exactly where that room was. But since it started with a 2, it was on the second floor. I headed for the stairway, dodging other people in the crowded hallway.
"If the hallway is this packed, I'll probably have to wait for the stairs."
But to my surprise, when I got to said stairs, they were empty.
"Wow, not a single person on the stairs. That's surprising, especially considering how crowded the hallway is."
Right as I started walking up the stairs, I heard frantic footsteps from above me.
"Someone must be in a h-"
BAM
!
CRUNCH!
"HOLY SHIT!"
That girl fell outta the
sky
! What the hell happened?!
"Y-You OK?!"
"HEEEEELLLPPP!!!"
"Just stay there, I'll go get a teacher!"
I ran to the nearest classroom and opened the door.
"Excuse me! A girl just fell from the stairs!"
"I was just about to see what was going on."
Me and the teacher ran back to the girl. The crowded hallway was now backed up, everyone had stopped to see what was going on.
"Please move, we need space!"
Some people moved out of the way, forming an open space of hallway around the stairs. The teacher went over to the girl.
"What happened?! Did you fall?!"
The girl tried to speak, but all that came out was a crying babble.
"Let's get you to the nurse's!"
The teacher tried to stand the girl up, but she
screamed
causing the teacher to drop her.
"MY LEEEEEG!"
"Is it broken?!"
"M-Maybeeee!"
"OK, we're gonna get you to the nurse's. Excuse me, what's your
name?"
"Aaron Lee."
"Aaron, could you go to the nurse's and get a wheelchair?"
"Uh, yeah, I can."
I walked into the nurse's office and saw someone sitting at a desk.
"Excuse me, I need a wheelchair."
A middle-aged woman with glasses, brown hair, and a long braid turned around.
"Oh, is someone in need of it?"
"Yeah, someone fell on the stairs, and she might've broken her leg."
"Goodness, I'll come with you, if her leg broke she'll need a nurse!"
The nurse got a wheelchair, and we left the room.
We made our way through the hall and the crowd of people near the stairs.
"Everyone, please make way!" said the nurse wheeling over to the girl
Once she'd gotten to her, the nurse crouched down.
"I'm nurse Jackie, here to take you to my office. I'm going to lift you up into this wheelchair, OK?"
The girl nodded a little.
"Ms. Adam, could you help me lift her?"
"Of course."
The 2 lifted this girl into the wheelchair and quickly made their way down the hall.
"Hey, did you see that girl fall?"
"No, but she fell like a
foot
away from my face!"
"For real?"
"Yeah! I swear she fell outta or the
sky
or something!"
"Maybe she fell from the second floor."
Someone snapped their fingers.
"She was probably sliding down the staircase railing! Some dumbass always gets hurt doing that!"
"If that's what happened she's gonna get suspended, teachers banned that a while ago."
"Suspension
and
a broken leg. Man, sure would hate to be her."
After talking a bit more with everyone, I finally made my way up the stairs. Part of me wanted to look up,
just
to be sure no one else was coming, but I resisted the urge.
"Now, to find room 214."
It didn't take long given the second floor was basically just a giant loop, all I had to do was go from room 200 until I found it. There was a hand-drawn sign on the door reading 'Anime Club' with pictures of different anime characters on it.
"Pretty good artwork, I wonder if someone in the club made this."
I reached for the doorknob, remembering the many times I'd done this before. Only to be disappointed by a crappy club.
Creak
!
"What the
fu
!!!-... Oh..."
SLAM
!
... Someone was watching
extremely
hardcore yaoi... Public school anime clubs, man, you look in there for
five
seconds, and get a
lifetime
of mental scars. I've definitely seen yaoi in anime club before, there's always that
one
girl who's obsessed with it. But like... harcore shit in a room with other people?! Even
I
didn't think anime clubs could get that bad!
"H-Hey, wait!"
Someone came up from behind me and grabbed my shoulder. I turned around to see a boy with short blonde hair and blue eyes dressed in casual clothing.
"Please don't tattle, I
swear
that's the first time something like this has happened."
"Oh, I won't tell anyone, I was just gonna go home and attempt to forget the vile shit I just witnessed."
"Yeah, that's fair, though you really aren't gonna tell anyone?"
"Nah, messing with anime club kids is like a death wish. Those people can be
insane
."
"Very fair assumption, but dude, I
promise
you we're not like that."
"What do you mean?"
"Our club isn't full of...
weebs
. We have 4 people including myself, and none of them are toxic assholes you'd typically find in an anime club."
"OK, what about the yaoi that was playing when I walked in?"
"This is gonna sound like bullshit, but I
swear
I do not know. It started playing, like,
right
as you walked in."
"Eh, even for an anime club that's bad. If you guys had been watching yaoi on the regular, someone
would've found out by now."
"Oh, thank god you believe me." he said with a sigh.
"Yeah, again, weird even for an anime club."
"Well, if you follow me back to the clubroom, I'm
sure
I can figure this out."
"Ight, man."
We started walking back to the clubroom.
"So, how come you came in?"
"I'm actually interested in joining the anime club."
"Oh, sweet! You'd be our first new member!"
"Yeah, every club I'd been to in the past has
sucked
, but I figured a highschool anime club would be better than a middle school one."
"Oh my god, middle school anime clubs are
awful
dude! I can't blame you! Oh, my name's Devon by the way."
"Aaron."
We arrived back at the club, and thankfully, that yaoi had been turned off. Standing in front of the TV where it'd been playing, was a girl with long black hair covering most of her face. She wore black tights and a big hoodie of the same color.
"Oh, Lily, you turned it off, thank you."
"A-Abby!"
"Abby? What about...
OH
!"
Devon pulled out his phone, typed something, then put it to his ear."
"... Abby! Turn off your phone!... You're streaming to the club TV!"
Boop
!
"So... do you like... know who it was?"
"It was one of the club members... She uh... must've done it by accident." said Devon, sitting down on a couch. "Thank
god
a teacher didn't walk in, we'd've been
fucked
."
"How did you know it was this, Abby girl?"
"
Sigh
... she's a fujoshi, so if anyone were watching... you know,
that
, it'd be her."
"Oh..."
Fujoshi
... even hearing that word made me grossed out. I know most of them are fine, but everyone I've encountered was in an anime club, which somehow entirely houses the worst fujoshis
ever
.
"I know it sounds bad, but even
I
didn't know she was into...
that
. I may never look at her again."
"Yeah, I'm gonna need some eye bleach after that one."
"W-Who's that?"
I turned around to see Lily pointing at me.
"Oh, this is Aaron, he's interested in joining the club."
"N-Nice to meet you..." she said with a little wave.
She was clearly a little nervous, so I said nothing further to her.
"You said there were 4 people in this club, right? Where's the 4th?"
"Oh, Anna? I'm honestly not sure, she went to go get something a while ago but hasn't come back yet. Speaking of that, I'mma send her a quick text, she should've been back by now."
He did so.
"So... you still wanna join the club?"
"... Yeah, y'all seem pretty cool, and if accidentally streamed yaoi is the worst that's happened here. It's already
leagues
better than the clubs I've been in before."
"Awesome, Anna'll be psyched to hear that we have a new member."
"So... What you usually do here."
"Whatever we want, really, there's the TV which has a bunch of streaming platforms installed. We've got a reading area filled with manga and light novels, and if you wanna just sit down and do something else." Devon pointed to a group of desks surrounded by chairs. "Sit down area."
"Hmmmm... I think I'll just sit down and watch some anime."
"Alright... Oh, we have a shared Otaku Station account you can use."
I turned on the TV, and a menu with a bunch of streaming platforms popped up. I picked up a remote and navigated to Otaku Station.
After a few minutes of me watching anime, a girl walked in looking pretty embarrassed. She had long bleached blonde hair and glasses, for clothing, she wore a white crop top and beige shorts.
"Oh... Hey, Abby."
"Sorry you guys had to see that! I didn't realize my phone was streaming to the TV!"
No one responded to her.
"Guys... Come on, it was an accident, I promise it'll never happen again!"
"Abby... we saw what you were watching..."
"I know?..."
"You were watching some pretty disgusting shit."
"U-Uh... I-It wasn't
that
bad."
"Maybe for you..."
"C-Come on! Just cause
you're
not into it doesn't make it gross!"
"It was ************* That's pretty fuckin yucky!"
"Huh?! That's not what I was watching!"
"That's what
I
saw playing!"
"U-Um..." Lily suddenly spoke up.
"She's... not fibbing..."
"Wait what?"
"See? Lily knows."
"She was in the room the whole time it was playing..."
"Um... it wasn't mega bad..."
"Oh... Then what did I see?"
"I must've uh... clicked off that one... it
does
sound pretty bad..."
The awkward tension in the room was
high
, I could practically feel it choking the air. Abby finally noticed me and asked,
"Who's that..."
"Aaron, our newest club member."
"Ah, nice to meet you."
I couldn't look her in the eyes, I knew what she'd just be doing... It was
way
too awkward for that.
"When are we gonna watch SawGore?"
"When Anna gets back."
"She's not back yet?"
"No, I sent her a text, but she hasn't responded."
"
Sigh
..." Abby sat on the couch and pouted.
"Why don't
you
send her a text then, you're her best friend, maybe she'll respond."
Abby pulled out her phone and navigated to text messages... But when she hit the 'Anna' messages, I immediately recognized the girl.
"WAIT!"
"W-What's wrong?!"
"Anna, I know what happened to her!"
"Huh?!"
"While I was getting here, a girl fell and broke her leg. That was Anna!"
"How do you know that was her?"
"The picture you have for her in your texts, that's the girl I saw!"
Everyone in the room looked worried.
"Do you know where she is now?!"
"Nurse's office."
"Wait... if it was really her, what shirt was she wearing?"
"It was the main character of The King's Dearest Knights."
"That's her!"
We all rushed downstairs to the nurse's office, Abby looking very nervous. Once we arrived, she slammed opened the door and yelled,
"Anna!"
The first thing I saw upon entering was the girl in question, lying in bed with her leg in a sling, bawling. The nurse turned to us and asked,
"Oh, are you all friends of Anna's?"
"Yes, we just found out what happened."
"I was hoping someone might show up, she hasn't calmed down since she got here."
Abby, clearly concerned for her friend, rushed over to Anna. The rest of us followed.
"Hey..."
The poor girl looked over at Abby, and a weary smile appeared on her face.
"Are you OK?"
"Mm-mm!"
"Hug?" asked Abby, raising her arms.
Anna said nothing, just reached out and embraced her friend.
"Better?"
"More..."
"Awww... Oh, Anna, I know something that'll make you feel better! We have a new member!" said Abby, pointing to me.
"Hey..." I gave a light wave. "Didn't expect to see you again today."
"He was actually on his way to the club when you fell."
Tears still filled her eyes, but I could tell Anna was happy.
"So, what happened? How'd you break your leg?" asked Devon.
The once merry girl fell silent and her smile faded, she tried to speak, but started crying again. Abby gave Devon a pissed off look.
"All I did was ask her what happened!"
"I can answer that."
"No!" Anna blurted out.
"Why not?..."
Oh, duh! She probably broke her leg sliding down the stairwell railing. But if I say that, the nurse'll hear and Anna's gonna get suspended! I'll just make something up.
"She uh... slipped and fell on the stairs..."
"Oh, so that's what happened?"
Anna nodded her head.
"Because I heard she was sliding down the staircase railing."
Shit! I thought I had her fooled!
"No way." Devon suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
"A week into school, she apparently saw someone hurt themselves doing that. I doubt she's stupid enough to repeat it."
"Oh... yes, I remember him."
"Yeah, that guy bust his ball sack open."
Both the nurse and Devon looked at Abby baffled.
"Where did you hear
that
?" he asked.
"Anna told me."
... She witnessed some guy
fuck up his BALLS
and
still
decided it was a good idea?! Just cause you don't have 'em doesn't mean it won't hurt! I looked over at the idiot, but she glanced away.
"Well, she shouldn't go making up things like that."
"Oh, so his balls didn't like, explode?"
"Of course not! That's ridiculous!"
"Can you please not talk about balls exploding?"
"Why? Is it making yours hurt?" said Abby, mockingly.
"
YES
!"
"
Anyway
," started the nurse, clearly not wanting this conversation to go on any longer. "So, Anna slipped and fell on the stairs?"
"Yes, that's what happened."
She then looked over at the girl in question.
"Is he telling the truth?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Really? Because a teacher told me she overheard some people say you were sliding down the railing."
"I
didn't
!" sobbed Anna.
"A teacher wouldn't lie to me, Anna."
"S-Stop!"
Lily's sudden outburst surprised everyone.
"She wouldn't fib!"
"I know you're just trying to stand up for your friend, but I have to tell the truth."
"She'll get suspended for a week, right?" said Devon
"Yes... and I agree, it's unfair because she broke her leg. But I don't make the rules."
Anna's crying turned into bawling once again. Abby tried to comfort her, but it didn't do any good.
"That's
fucked
up!"
"
Lily
?!"
"I understand you're mad, but you
don't
need to swear. I wouldn't want to have 2 people in trouble."
That got the once quiet girl to back down, now
she
looked like she was going to cry.
"I agree with Lily, a broken leg should be punishment enough."
"Anna..." said Abby, giving her friend a hug. "I'm gonna miss you..."
"Yes... because she'll be at the hospital, likely for a week."
...
Oh my god
...
"Her fractured leg is quite serious, it'll be awhile before she can return to school."
"So, Anna's gonna be in a hospital for the duration of her punishment?"
"Yes, possibly even longer."
"So everything's fine?"
"Well, Anna's leg is still broken."
"Yes, but her suspension basically means nothing?"
"Correct."
How did I
not
consider something like this until it was directly told to me? And what about everyone else? Clearly none of
them
realized it either! It's so simple, yet apparently, too complex for any of us to figure out...
God I feel like an idiot
.
And with that, our visit came to a close, we cheered Anna up and everyone else was fine. We all left the nurse's office.
"So, Anna actually slid down the railing?"
"Yep."
"Not gonna lie, I kinda wanted to slap her for that."
"
Don't
." said Abby sternly.
"I won't! I won't!"
Abby then turned to Lily.
"Lily... great job sticking up for Anna there."
She smiled a little.
"Th-Thank you..."
"It shocked me to hear you swear."
Lily's smile turned into a blush.
Buzz
!
Buzz
!
"That's my phone!" I said.
Upon checking my phone, I saw a notification from my sister; it read.
"I'm here."
"Sorry guys, gotta go!"
"It's alright, we were actually gonna leave too."
"K, bye!"
Everyone waved at me.
"Bye Aaron! See you tomorrow!"
I made my way to the school parking lot where I saw my sister in the car waiting for me. I ran over, opened the door, and got in the vehicle.
"Hey, Katie."
"So, have fun at your weeb club?"
"Actually, one member broke her leg. So we went to visit her at the nurse's."
"Wow... sounds
exciting
."
"What did you do all day? Sit in your pajamas and watch shitty TV?"
"Shut the
fuck
up! You'd do the
goddamn
same in my position!"
The rest of our drive home was silent.
(Author's note: It's 12: 08 in the morning and I'm tired. Sorry for the rushed ending, I just really wanted to get this thing out. I've been working on it for months with often 0 ideas, and the past few days I've
finally
had some. So I just powered through the damn thing and finished it. I hope you enjoyed it at least, hopefully the same thing won't happen with the next chapter!) |
As I entered the main gate building, I spot Elizabeth at the edge of my vision along with 4 people. One seems familiar, I remember him being the one Elizabeth had a friendly banter with earlier during our 1st class. I approach them slowly, suppressing my bubbling social anxiety about meeting strangers, and acted as politely as I can.
"I hope I didn't make you guys wait?" I said apologetically as Elizabeth saw me approaching.
If I had known they were already here I would've come a bit earlier. I spent my time at the library while waiting for the allotted time since I don't want to stand in the main gate building for minutes just waiting awkwardly.
"Ohh no no! we just arrived earlier than expected." Elizabeth vehemently protested.
That makes sense. It is only 3:25 the last time I checked.
"I can't believe you managed to recruit another member this fast." Said the familiar boy.
"Ohh I forgot to introduce you guys. Katherine, these are my friends. We all came from the same high school."
She introduced them to me one by one careful to not overwhelm me.
"This is Lenna my best friend"
Lenna is shorter than me. She had long brown hair with a side bun and a homely face. She seems laid back and greeted me with an acknowledging smile.
"This is Beny the support of our team." The guy named Beny is a meek-looking boy with glasses and short-cut hair. He's kind of cute, like a little puppy you would want to protect.
"H-Hello." He greeted
"A pleasure," I replied
"This other guy is Romel." the guy from earlier bickering with Elizabeth approached me.
"Nice to meet you, Katherine, I heard about you from Liz. Don't worry I'm pretty skilled. If you got me on your team, I'll be sure to carry you." He boasted while thumping his fist against his chest for added effect.
He sure seems confident in his skills. Is he really that good?
"Nice to meet you too," I replied politely while giving him an acknowledging nod.
"The chubby guy over there is Reynolds"
A portly guy a little bit shorter than me with brushed-back hair greeted me with a gentlemanly bow.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Katherine."His plump figure is quite a contrast to his gentle demeanor.
"Don't we have too many players?"I asked.
In CoA, a team match only consists of 4 players for both sides totaling 8 players in-game. The team composition varies depending on the team but the most popular and well-balanced one is the 2 supports and 2 carries comp. Carries are usually Champions that lean towards damage-oriented builds. They mainly deal damage in order to eliminate the enemy team. Supports however have many variations. They can be healers, crowd controllers, tanks, buffers, and debuffers, among others. Their main purpose is to support their carries into dishing out as much damage as they can or hindering the enemy team to do so.
"Ohh it's ok, Lenna doesn't really play and is only here to watch our game. And Raynold said he wants you to be able to join so he won't be playing."
"Anything for you miss Katherine," Raynold said with a gentlemanly smile.
I forcefully smiled at him and just nodded, I mean I don't really know how to reply to that.
Elizabeth for her part walked beside me with her face nearing my ears "Just ignore him, he's weird like that whenever he sees a beautiful face." Elizabeth whispered conspiringly.
"I-I..... see," I said taken aback by the compliment
So, he's a textbook example of a simp huh?
"June said his team is already there waiting for us. Ready to go?" Elizabeth asked me.
"Okay, lead the way then," I spoke politely.
To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this. This would my first game in a long while, more than 2 years to be exact. Thankfully I still played single-player VR games as a pastime so hopefully, my skills haven't rusted that much.
--------------------------
While chatting on the way,We arrived at the VR cafe after a 5-minute walk. It was a modern commercial building with a slick and futuristic design. Going inside, the interior of the VR cafe was dark, almost unlighted except for green, blue, and red lines in the walls and ceilings lighting the place for the enhanced ambiance. There are also hundreds of VR pods that my eye can see and most of it is occupied. I noticed the staff also sanitize the pod after a user finished playing which is a plus. There are also plenty of televisions that hang on the ceiling that replays professional games, mainly of CoA but also a few other games that I do not recognize. I'm not really used to playing in VR cafes but with this atmosphere that they got, I cannot refute its appeal. During all of my inner musings, Elizabeth already approached to counter.
"Hey, Anna! Is June already here?" Elizabeth asked the lady manning the counter.
She had lots of mini computer screens surrounding her with CCTV footage playing. You can see almost all of the VR pods in the place if you look at those screens.
"Ohh Liz, he's already waiting for you guys on the 3rd floor. You can find your reserved pods there if you go into the room on your right side after taking the stairs. The pods are #'s 315 to 318." The lady politely explained
"Thanks! Let's go guys." Elizabeth
enthusiastically led us upstairs into a huge room where I saw another batch of about 20 VR pods each with ample space with each other. There are plenty of other customers aside from us. Near the unused VR pods, we saw a man waiting for us in the corner of the room.
"Took you long enough. I thought your team chickened out Liz."
A guy in his late 20s with a clean-shaven head, who would not look out of place in a gym, taunted Elizabeth.
"We got here as early as we could, June. Unlike you, we have classes you know? And who's afraid of who? We destroyed you in our last betting match."
"You were just lucky back then. We improved our team play the last time we fought. don't expect it to go your way. We also have a new player joining us today." June said smugly.
"Is all your team already here?" she asked
"They're already playing, they got bored waiting for you guys to show up. Anyways, same as last time?"
"No bets today, only a normal match. We're also playing with a new teammate from our university."
"Ohh, already forced another member to join your team? Well, it's no surprise considering your nosy personality." June teased while glancing at me as if wanting me to confirm.
"Hmmph I am not THAT meddlesome........right?" Elizabeth looked at me pleadingly.
"You are though." I shrugged.
June burst out in laughter while Elizabeth pouted.
"Hahaha well let's just play with no bets. But the looser still has to pay for the VR pod usage"
"Fine, just don't regret it after we beat you guys." Elizabeth conceded
After finalizing the stakes, June left for his VR pod.
"D-don't we get to warm up first?" Beny chimed after June left.
"Don't be scared. The enemy would be enough as a warm-up." Romel boasted.
"You guys go create a lobby, I'll just lend Katherine one of my accounts," Elizabeth added
We each took a VR pod of our own, and I took the farthest one #318. As I opened the pod, I felt a sense of nostalgia. It has been too long since I was going to play CoA.
"Add me on VR chat and I'll send you the username and password to one of my accounts. I already told you my info, right?" I nodded and she continued.
"Also don't think about winning or losing. Focus on the game and have fun." She smiled brightly
What a kind person, I needed the reassurance with me being already this nervous about playing. Well, I doubt we will lose anyway considering that they already beat the enemy team in their last bout. I'm not that weak that my joining them would drag the team down....... even if I haven't played in a while......probably.
"Are you sure it's ok for me to use your account?" I felt conflicted.
"Of course! I don't really use it that much since I always play carry. You know how to play support right?"
I nodded
I haven't actually played support since I play mainly carry but I've fought plenty enough times to know all its strength and weaknesses and what to do or not to do when playing it.
"And don't worry, we have the same height and body size so you won't feel much dissonance when playing my character." What she was referring to is the real body vs VR body dissonance.
it happens when the proportions of your body are different from the body of the avatar you made. This makes your movement awkward and laggy, making it impossible for you to play at your best. This is why all the guides you would see for beginners, All of them will strongly suggest the use of the full body scan when creating a character. This will make your avatar as coordinated as possible with your original body. Of course, this still doesn't stop guys from creating a female character and regretting it later on in higher levels of gameplay. Honestly, I can't understand why they do that.
"Then I'll log in now." I stepped inside the open pod and then pressed the button for it to close. The smell of detergent permeated my senses. I can see the VR pod was well-sanitized and regularly maintained. Seconds later a robotic female voice resounded through the pod.
*Please put on the nerve gear.*
I obliged. I grabbed the nerve gear placed in the middle of the pod. This is the main feature of the VR pod, the nerve gear. The nerve gear sends fake signals to your head at a frequency unique to the brain. Then the nerve gear produces artificial waves to stimulate the brain to provide artificial senses for the virtual reality that you will experience or something like that, I'm not a neurologist so I'm not on point with the details but that's the gist of what I read in passing interest.
Though I sometimes have the irrational fear that there is some kind of overblown conspiracy device that will fry your brain to mush if you die on a game. But the VR pod had been studied and cleared of any dangers and there are no reported cases of anyone's brain getting fried so there's that.
*Vital signs green, mental state green, emotional state green, preparing for virtual dive.*
*Loading 26%..... loading 59%..... loading 100% complete. Initiating full dive.*
All my senses suddenly became empty in a split second then came back anew like it was never gone. I immediately find myself in a space with planets beautifully and artistically aligned. It must be the VR background. It can be changed depending on the user's preference like the background of a desktop computer.
"Show all apps," I called.
A list of apps suddenly appeared in front of me and I suddenly regretted it. It was numerous. different games, social media outlets, networks, and many other things I did not recognize. There were over 50 apps installed here. My VR pod only has about 20 apps and I don't even use half of them. I guess I'll just have to use the search menu as opposed to opening the app manually.
"Search and Open VR messenger."
I sent a PM to the account that Elizabeth told me about earlier and after a short while, a sudden ping lingered at the edge of my vision. It was Elizabeth accepting my friend request. Along with a message for the username and password of her account. I memorized both then proceeded to open Champions of Andartha.
I was teleported to a relaxing plain with the statue of a goddess who I presume was Andartha in front of me. The statue's eyes were closed and you could feel the sorrow in its demeanor. After that was the account prompt from the game. I immediately input the username and password of Elizabeth's smurf account. What greeted me was a character with an IGN of Beth. It has Elizabeth's body proportions geared with a cleric-type robe and her beautiful facial features.
So, she even used the face scan to copy her face to her 3d avatar. I don't think I have the courage to do that, since if it were me, I'll customize my looks. Strangers seeing a realistic 3d version of my face even in an online game feels wrong to me. Though she did say that she streams so I guess it's not an issue for her. I guess streamers are built differently in confidence factor huh? I hit the 'Start' button.
Loading.....
Loading.....
Loading complete
The smell of fresh air suddenly filled my nasal senses and the hustle and bustle of the town flooded my view. As I walked around, a sense of nostalgia suddenly run through me. If I'm not mistaken this is the port town of Melos. A town that can be accessed in the later stages of the game. considering this account is max leveled, that makes a lot of sense she would be here. This town brings a lot of memories. This was the town my sister had a quest that was too hard for her involving a certain skilled NPC. In the end, I was the one who completed the quest by beating the NPC for her.........my sister. My heart suddenly dropped.
*Warning: mental and emotional state fluctuating.
Player is Advised to take a break.*
I dismissed the notification. Calm down. I took a breath and tried to calm myself. I forced all the thoughts outside my head and cleared my mind. I need a distraction. I looked at my inventory. She has a purple set with a purple weapon. Pretty good actually. The strength of a set is linked to its rarity. White is normal, Blue is rare, Purple is epic, gold is mythic, and red has the highest grade of legendary. Pro players usually have all legend gears and weapons but you won't know unless they show you, their gears. And for a pro player, showing your gear is taboo cause if it was somehow leaked, their enemy will surely know their strengths and weaknesses based on their stat build and resistances.
Her weapon is called Staff of Resolute Thorns. It increases the effects of healing skills. It also has a weapon skill. Weapon skills are what make getting a higher-tier weapon more important than an armor set because some weapon skills can change the tide of battle. They are that strong.That is why a good blacksmith is needed in any pro team.
Thorn burst: Conjures small thorns that impede the enemy's movements.
Cooldown: 21 seconds.Cost: 50 mp
Quite potent but not comparable to red weapons. still has a fast cooldown for a purple though and it doesn't need to be channeled.
I then took a look at her stats.
It is..... quite a strange build she has and that is me being kind in my description. It's a hybrid of dex and int. It is like she wanted to be a support mage but then decided being a DPS carry is better and changed stats priority mid-game. No wonder she made another account, this must have been her 1st one since it is full of newbie mistakes. While it may not matter that much for casual players, this type of build would be disastrous when you play on a competitive level. That is probably why she readily lent it to me....... how depressing.
Well let's look at the bright side, it suits me fine with me being a DPS carry player back then. I won't have that much damage as a full DPS-oriented build but I can still use support skills, so in other words, a Jack of all trades kind of character.
I checked the settings. The auto translator is on but the voice changer option is off. It seems she likes to use her real voice even in the game. Streamers really are built differently.
While customizing the settings to my preference a sudden notification popped.
Player Lizbeth has invited you to a PVP lobby. Would you like to accept? (y/n).
I accepted the invite.
Notice: you will be teleported to another location. Some tasks or dungeons may fail if teleported, do you want to continue? (y/n)
"Yes"
*zfff*
I teleported. In an instant, my vision became blurry, then replaced by a huge round table that can fit more than 10 people and still have room to spare. Looking around I saw a very large Victorian-style room with lavish accessories and designs. I instantly recall that this is the lobby match. Seated on our side of the table is Lizbeth, (who I'm certain is Elizabeth) KingRomel,(Definitely Romel), and Ozz (Benny by the rule of elimination). On the other side are our opponents. On the right side is GigaChad (June probably based on his muscular body type). And 2 other people I am not acquainted with who are currently...... flirting in their own little world. Get a room you two! Even their in-game name, Dan<3Kay and Kay<3Dan also compliments each other. "Is my character, ok? No dissonance whatsoever?" Elizabeth broke me out of my musings.
"I feel perfectly fine when I was walking around town earlier. Except maybe for the chest area. How do you walk with these things."
I groped my own enlarged breast as if prove my point. Feels soft actually. I might actually get used to this. Wait a sec, is this considered sexual harassment or something? "It's not that bad! But still, looking at my 3d designed facial features having a conversation with me at that is kinda unnerving."
That is why you should not readily lend your account to just anyone. Hope this would be a lesson for her. What if I was actually a creepy stalker, which I'm not of course, then this would not end well for her.
"I don't see the problem though, your face looks pleasing to the eye."
"Hehehe thanks." She said proudly. Tsk, not the reaction I was hoping for. I was hoping she would be caught off guard and act bashfully cute or something.
"How long is your last member going to make us wait!?"
All of the attention suddenly turned towards Romel.
"Patience, we also waited for you guys to arrive you know? Our last member is just finishing a dungeon, he will be here soon." GigaChad (Nope, I'll just call him June) replied.
"He did a dungeon? Those things take too long to finish." Romel argued.
"Not for him though, he's pretty skilled," June explained
"Who exactly is your last player?"
Elizabeth inquired.
They look pretty confident and reassured
That they would win, their ace player must be really good for them to have this much positivity.
"I supposed there is no harm in telling you now. Our last player is Chu." June said proudly.
"You managed to poach him?! I thought he only played 1v1 PVP."
Elizabeth exclaimed.
"I worked around it. I have my own
methods." June said smugly.
"T-that's unfair, is it? Chu is a ranker" Benny worriedly said.
"Really now? It's just a normal match where the loser pays for the winner's VR time cost and not a high-stakes betting game. And don't tell me you guys forgot your captain is also a ranker." June said as he looked at Elizabeth as if proving a point.
I was a little bit shocked. I didn't expect Elizabeth to be a ranker. There are 2 separate leaderboards for rankers. One is the team rank and the other is the 1v1 rank. Given that, for a player to have a ranker title, they need to be at the top one thousand players in either team matches or 1v1 leaderboards ranking at the end of a PVP season, which regularly calibrates every 2 months.
"Don't tell me you're chickening out this late in the game? It's not like it's a betting match either. We just need a little practice fighting another ranker." June taunted. "No, we'll continue the match." Elizabeth finalized.
"Good, then let's wait for a bit, he PM'ed me that he's almost done with the dungeon." "Who is this Chu?" I whispered to Elizabeth next to me.
"Chu Xiaolong a 1v1 ranker. A well-known player around here. I heard he always plays 1v1 betting matches in this VR cafe and that he has not lost even once in a 1v1 scenario. He is a Chinese second year studying at our university now that I remember." Elizabeth replied
"That is.... honestly impressive." Those ranking leaderboards are filled with pro and tier 2 pro players and for him to place in the top 1k on 1v1 taking into account CoA's massive player base is an incredible feat.
"Don't worry too much, doesn't matter if we lose as long as we have fun!" Elizabeth reassured me. Losing is no fun for me back then though. For me, winning is what makes matches fun. Celebrating after winning is 'fun'. That was my thought process in the past but now, I'm not really quite sure if I'm as driven toward winning as I was then.
"Uh-huh."
I just nod though. Each has their own way of enjoyment and I wouldn't want to put a damp on her enthusiasm. Just then another player arrived via teleportation. He is wearing a set you would expect from a Taoist with a Longbow attached to his back and a pair of small butterfly swords to his waist. Looking at his ign it reads NumbaWan. I gotta give him credit, even his name feels like he works hard to become number one in CoA, very admirable. A little bit off in the spelling department but you can't blame him, English is not his native language I suppose. "Finally, you're here! Good to go Chu?" June asked his teammate. "Ready, let's finish this fast, I have something more important to do later." Wow, how edgy. "I see...... You can start whenever. My team is also ready." Elizabeth chimed in. "Ok! time for our revenge match!" June pressed something unseen to me then a timer starts counting down. Game starting in 3.... 2..... 1....!
---------------------------------
-Lenna's POV-
I have always watched Liz's streams. When she plays PVP she sometimes explains the rules to her new viewers that are not all too familiar with team PVP. From what I can summarize from all the times I watched her, the basics of team PVP is that there are 3 main objective points on the map.
The top Orb
The middle Orb
The bottom Orb
The main objective of a team match is to capture three of the Orbs. There are three winning conditions.
First is when a team captures ALL THREE of the capture Orbs, specifically the TOP, MID, and BOT orbs.The team to capture all three of them instantly wins regardless of the player's status.
The second is when a team is wiped out. If your team managed to kill all of the enemy players, you win the game. Conversely, if your team gets wiped out, you of course lose the game.
The third is when the time runs out. After 50 mins, the team with the most captured objectives wins the match. If your team, for example, captured 2 Orbs, and the other team has only 1 you win the game after the time runs out. If however in a very rare case that both have one orb each or no orbs at all, the game ends in a draw. That's only the basics of what I know. There are a whole lot of specifics I don't really understand for now though. While I was pondering, Raynold's sudden voice caught my attention
"Didn't expect a 1v1 ranker to be in June's team" Raynold said while looking at the tv screen for viewers of matches in the VR cafe.
"A ranker?" I asked.
"Chu Xiaolong, ign NambaWan. he is ranked 921 in the in the global 1v1 matches leaderboard."
"That bad!? I remember that Liz is only ranked 970 though, does that mean he's better than Liz?" I heard from her stream that she is ranked 970. Even those who don't play CoA know that it is an amazing achievement.
"Yes, Liz is ranked 970 in team ranked match in the last season but that doesn't mean she's weaker than Chu. There's a big difference between a team and 1v1 matches. Teamplay, coordination, synergy, and strategy are crucial in team matches while raw technical skills and reading your opponents are needed for 1v1 battles. So I wouldn't be so sure that the enemy has the advantage."
I also think that way. Liz always says in her stream that she mostly plays team matches because she enjoys it so much more compared to 1v1. But whenever her viewers convinced her to play 1v1 ranked matches via donation or persuasion, I haven't seen her lose a single time.
"It's quite hard to believe though that Liz can play on even ground with male players."I mused.
"Hmm, I think it's not that out of the norm. There has been a debate going on that female players have the advantage vs male players in CoA."
"Ohh Really?" That got me interested.
"You see, female players have the advantage over males in terms of flexibility and balance due to their innate body type and lower center of gravity making them more proficient in dodging. Considering the importance of dodging in PVP matches, it's a huge advantage. While males do have the advantage of strength and robustness in the real life, It doesn't apply to VR games like CoA because all you have to do is to increase your stats and get good gear to offset the advantage. It might actually even be a demerit since the larger you are, the easier it is for you to take a hit." he explained.
"But if that's true, why is the pro scene still dominated by male players?"
"In my opinion, it is more of a mindset kind of thing. Men are generally more competitive than women. There are always exceptions though, have you heard of Yuusha 'the Untouchable'?"
"Hmmm, I think I heard of her. Liz always says she's her inspiration in playing CoA." If I recall correctly, she was the ace of Team Paragon, the first-ever team to win the Andartha Cup tournament.
"Liz and most female players started playing CoA because of her aparently. The publicity team of CoA advertised the highlights of their final matches to promote the game to the female player base, which is a brilliant move on their part. One could argue that she had a big impact on the drastic increase of the CoA player base throughout the years. Some of her diehard fans even argue that she is the greatest player of all time. Considering her iconic 1v3 at the very first Andartha cup finals I wouldn't be too surprised people think that way." he enthusiastically added.
"But, she's not in the pro scene now, right?" I inquired
"She suddenly quit playing, no one knows why. Even her former teammates have no idea. the CoA community doesn't even know what she looks like since the first Andartha cup was an online tournament, not the Lan event with a huge venue with all the publicity that we see today."
Huh, that's too bad, I would've loved to root for her if she was playing in the pro league.
"So.....who do you think will win?" I asked Raynold.
"Hard to tell. It will basically go down on who will have more impact in the matches, Liz or Chu."
As Raynold was entertaining my questions, one of the many tv screens situated at the top of the ceiling counted down. It was showing the team of Liz vs the team of June about to start their match.
"Ohh oh, it's starting!" I exclaimed.
The players are transported to the rear end of the map.
June's team was at the topmost right side of the map while Liz's team was transported in the leftmost bottom side. |
It was very early in the morning there are poorly built buildings made out of rotting oak planks the size of a small shack. it is completely dark. A young boy with yellow eyes with a
blue-colored sclera
around the age of 11 wakes up, he is wearing a torn sleeveless black haori. he is covered in dirt from sleeping on the muddy floor. He yawns as he looks at his younger brother that is still sleeping, and around the room with bags under his eyes. he grabs onto a hole made through rotting planks in the ceiling. As he pulls himself out of the hole, he turns back to look at the dirt hole in the ground where he sleeps. He would cover the hole with a dirty piece of cloth. The boy would grab an axe and a bag of supplies. As he opens the door it is pitch black, the only visible light is bright lights emitting from the top of a mountain far away. As he takes a step outside, his foot sinks into the mud to his knees. He would start to walk with his axe over one shoulder and the bag of supplies over the other. As he walks through the muddy streets the sun would start to rise to illuminate the thousands of small poorly built wooden houses. People would start to emerge from their homes and swarm the streets. the stench of rotting corpses would plague the air.
As the boy walks he reaches a large open area where rows of Hundreds of crucified corpses would rot in the open. Thousands of mutated crows would fly high in this area.
A few hours later the boy would approach a giant andesite wall that is being constructed, the wall would stretch to both sides as far as the eye could see, and reaches through the clouds.
a crowd of people would start to gather with pickaxes, axes, ropes, and more supplies.
The boy would walk onto a wooden platform connected to ropes leading up the wall high
into the sky. A man in a white uniform with a scimitar would shout "TEN NO MORE THAN 10 ARE ALLOWED ON IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ON."
10 people would proceed to get on the platform including the boy.
The man in white would pull on a rope that seemed to be hanging down from
high in the clouds. The loud ring of a bell would be heard echoing from high in the clouds.
The platform would begin to slowly rise.
an 11th man would rush through the crowd trying to reach the platform.
" L-LET ME ON DAM IT." he would yell
he would push through the crowd and reach the platform.
he leaped to grab onto the platform that was slowly rising.
"PLEASE, PLEASE I NE-ED TO EARN MONEY TO FEED MY FAMIL-."
The man would be interrupted, as a large amount of blood sprays
in intense volumes from his neck. as he tries to speak
his head would slide backward falling off of his neck. His body would release its hold on the
platform and fall to the ground. The man in white would say "by the decree of the Third king
William Frederick, anything that disobeys the Brotwächters will be punished with immediate
execution.
The wooden platform would start to rise higher and higher.
"Dam moron. should have waited his turn." a large man with a long beard and a bald spot would say.
the man would turn to the boy.
"Hey kid what's your name eh?" The boy would look at him and stay quiet.
"Eh look at you, you're ugly as hell, COME ON SAY SOMETHING, you look like a freak. What is ya name?"
"Like I would ever let a steaming pile of dogshit like you know my name, let alone allow you speak it. shut up and keep your questions to yourself." the boy said
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME??!?!"
"ILL KILL YOU." the man would yell
Another person would put their hand on the man's shoulder.
"Calm down it's just a ki-"
the man would push the other person away from him "SHUT THE HELL UP."
the man would attempt to throw a punch at the boy, but 2 other men would hold him back.
The boy would just watch them struggle. The people would start to hold on to the rope due to the 3 men shaking the platform. The enraged man would shrug off one of the people attempting to restrain him, and he would push the man away from him leading to him tripping and falling from the platform. The struggle would stop as everybody is in shock, and they would start to call the enraged man names.
"YOU DAM SAVAGE!!."
"What the hell is wrong with you."
"Wh-at a violent person."
"MURDERER!!."
The man would stutter and say
"I-i -I did not mean to, HE CAME ON TO ME. IT'S ALL HIS FAULT THAT HE FELL OFF."
another person would respond by saying
"HE WAS TRYING TO STOP YOU FROM HURTING THAT KID, YOU'RE A KILLER, A COLD-BLOODED KILLER, THE CHILD DID NOTHING TO YOU."
"N-no, NO NO NO, it's NOT MY FAULT, it's NOT MY FAULT, HE FELL OFF ON HIS OWN, I AM NO MURDERER."
the boy would look at him and pull down four of his fingers and leave the middle one up.
"YOU BITCH, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT YOU KILLED HI-"
"I have not done anything to you or those men, I do not know what you are talking about."
The boy says.
The Platform would suddenly stop rising. They reached the top of the wall.
"THE MAN IN BLACK IS A MURDERER, HE PUSHED SOMEBODY OFF AND WAS GOING TO KILL
THAT CHILD." a woman on the platform would say
Two men in white apart of the Brotwächter unit would point their spears at him."And you all saw this man do this?" One of the guards would ask.
"He-he killed my friend he is a cold-blooded killer, WE ALL SAW IT." the other man would say.
The guards would both impale their spears through the throat of the man who committed the murder. they would pull the spears out, and grab his body.
"You will now carry on with your day as usual." the guard said.
𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿..
"Your work shift is over, it is time for you to descend." A guard said
The boy would Descend back down with the platform. After a few more hours of walking, he walks passed a group of people praying. He would pass them and arrive at a stone building.
The building stands out next to all of the tiny poorly built houses made of wood. He would enter the building. There would be people singing, dancing, drinking, eating, and partying.
A very tall man with long flowing brown hair, and brown eyes, would walk up to the boy. The man was dressed in a baker's outfit made for his size.
"Ah you finally arrived you had me worried for a bit there, Kenjin." the man said with a smile on his face.
"Yeah sorry, some monkey pushed a person off so the watchers held us a bit late for that."
" HAHAHAHHA, don't worry it's fine, Now... are you ready to bake??" the man asked with a smile on his face
" Faraniris " The Großer Bäcker". that's how everyone knows him as the only other person than my little brother who cares about me. I don't know too much about him, but I have been working in his bakery since I was 7. I am grateful that I can work for a man like him who has accomplished so much despite growing up in the slums. He has protected both me and my little brother I owe him." the boy would say in his mind.
"Heey, what do I always tell you? You gotta smile more, laugh more, trust me with those eyes of yours you'll knock em dead, HAHAHAHA." Faraniris said while Laughing.
"Of course I am ready, come on let's get started," Kenjin said.
"I remember Mr. Faran saying, that bread takes time and patience, but with baking, you can create whatever is in your mind, and it's just about the feeling. Dough has its way of life and its way of reacting, trying to get a piece of dough that is massive feels like trying to tame a wild beast. Then again Mr. Faran always saw baking more as a majestic art than a job, I wish I was as well off as Mr. Faran, not needing to worry about food or money or shelter, being able to relax and feel accomplished.
After they finish baking Kenjin hears a familiar voice calling out for him. As he turns around and sees a young child with black hair, a torn black Haori, and beautiful black colored eyes sprinting toward him.
"BROTHER!!! YOUR HEREEEE!!!" a young boy yells
"Ryuzaru, it's good to see you. How was school today?" Kenjin asked.
"W-well it was good, b-but one of the other kids threw something at the teacher, and he and his friends said it was me, even though it wasn't me. The teacher kicked me, I COULD'NT DO ANYTHING I-I-I I AM SORRY KENJI." Ryuzaru would say as he cries.
"It's alright I am here," says Kenjin as he hugs him.
"What does this teacher of yours look like Ryu?" Kenjin would ask
"Y-you mean Mr. Takeshiro Kanzantaro? a-a- are you going to tell him to stop hurting me?" Ryuzaru would ask as tears streamed down his face.
"I will have a conversation with him, don't worry your new teacher will never lay a finger on you I will make sure of that," Kenjin said.
"New teacher? What does he mean by that?" Ryuzaru would think to himself.
"Mr. Faran. could you watch after Ryu for a bit I have something to discuss with one of his teachers," Kenjin said with a face that was even more emotionless than normal.
"Yeah don't worry he'll be fine here." Mr. Faran said while giving a thumbs up.
Kenjin would start walking to the school.
After an hour Kenjin would Arrive at the school. The building that is called a school looks more like a house of horrors, with rotting planks, stench, and people. Kenjin would walk passed a decomposing body that was not cleaned up. He stood out as he walked through the school, with his strange colored eyes. he would walk up to a child around the same age as his brother.
With an emotionless look on his face, he grabs the child by the throat and holds him up in the air.
"𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙤 𝙞𝙨," Kenjin says in a deadly calm voice. The child would start to scream and cry.
"AAAAAAAAAAGHHHH, HELP."
Kenjin would feel a hand on his shoulder, and he would let go of the young child. As he turns around he would see an overweight man with black hair and a beard.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" the man says with a shocked expression on his face.
"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘳. 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘰?" Kenjin asked calmly with the same emotionless expression on his face.
"H-HUH!?! YEAH, THAT'S ME LISTEN HERE, KID. I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO IS ALLOWED TO PUNISH MY STUDE-" The overweight man was cut off mid-sentence.
as he looks down and sees Kenjin holding his axe is covered in blood.
As he looks further down he realizes his arm is laying on the floor.
"Do not lay your disgusting hands on me."
Mr. Takeshiro would scream at the top of his lungs while holding the elbow of the arm that was cut off. The screaming would stop as Kenjin slashes the jaw of Mr. Takeshiro with his axe. Blood would spray everywhere. Only the Lower jaw has been completely cut off. Kenjin would proceed to swing the axe and slice through the throat of Mr. Takeshiro.
The head of Mr. Takeshiro would be launched off as Kenjin slices through his neck.
Kenjin would turn around and walked away as the body of Mr. Takeshiro would fall to the ground.
Kenjin would hide the axe back in his shirt where he originally pulled it out from. He would proceed to walk in the open covered in blood back to the bakery. Before he would enter the bakery he would try to wipe off some of the blood.
Upon his return to the bakery, he is greeted by his little brother.
"Kenji did you-"
"Ryu it's best not to think about all of that right now. I will collect my payment and then we can go home." Kenjin would hug him.
"Don't worry you never have to experience somebody like him again."
𝟏𝟐 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫
Kenjin would wake up, he would get up and stretch his arms out and yawn, as he looks to his side he says nothing. "Ryu is already awake?" he thinks to himself.
He would climb up and out of the hole where he sleeps. He would notice that the cover is not on the hole.
"Ryu forgot to conceal the bedroom? But he never forg-"
Kenjin's thought is interrupted by a club to the back of the head. As Kenjin falls to the ground unconscious.
"W-What the hell. Where am I?." Kenjin would slowly think to himself as he opens his eyes.
He would see that his legs and arms have been tied together with rope. He is bleeding from the back of the head from where the impact occurred. As he looks up he would see that he is in the middle of the street surrounded by a crowd of people.
"Wh-ere am I?"
People from the crowd would scream insults and death wishes toward him.
"PUT HIM DOWN, HE SHOULD PAY FOR HIS CRIMES." a man would scream
A woman with long flowing black hair would scream as she cried "HE BRUTALLY MURDERED THE MAN I LOVE AND THE FATHER OF MY DAUGHTERS."
The crowd started chanting for a second execution.
"PUT HIM UP WITH THE OTHER ONE." a man yelled.
"R-ryu, shit where are you Ryu?" as he looked around the street. He would recognize where he was. He saw the Hundreds of crucifixions.
"A-are these people going to nail me to one of those things?"
"Shit I must have been knocked out and dragged out here. They probably hired some jackasses to come after me. It must be Family and close friends of that overweight shitbag."
he would think.
"EVERYBODY QUIET DOWN WE ARE GOING TO NOW ANNOUNCE THE PUNISHMENT."
One of the guards said.
"THAT'S BULLSHIT WHERE IS THE TRIAL," Kenjin screamed.
"They probably bribed the guards, I am going to die, I can't die, I don't want to die." Kenji thought to himself.
"You will be exiled from the Östliche Sun Kingdom and Brotstadt as your punishment."
The guard announced.
"S-so am I not going to die after all huh? I-i need to find Ryu now." He thought to himself
As Kenjin looked up at the crucifixion closest to him, his eyes widened and his breathing stopped completely. He could not focus on anything else anymore. He looked up and saw his little brother Ryuzaru on the crucifix.
"R-R-R-R-yu-zaru..." he would stutter
𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗘𝗗.... |
The sun climbs slowly over the horizon, the faintest rays peeking past the distant skyline. A breeze blows softly over the meadow, faintly brushing past the leaves, filling the air with the soft whispering of rustling leaves. As the sun shines over the fields, so do the meadow's inhabitants.
A single look at the scene fills the body with a sense of renewal, like a breath of fresh air after holding it for so long.
The land is flat, and covered in thin grass, blowing softly in the wind. The land is devoid of features, other than a solitary hill in the middle of the meadow. Standing on top of the hill is a lone tree blowing in the wind. Under this solitary tree lies a boy, asleep under the stretching branches of a tree, sheltered by its shadow, cast across the landscape. The sun climbs higher in the clear sky, wisps of cloud streaked across, motes of white on a blank blue canvas.
The boy lets out a relaxing sigh, echoing the appreciation of the day that nature had wrought, appreciation of his tranquil life of solitude.
"Hm?"
Despite his isolation, he is not alone in this tranquility. The quiet sounds of footsteps on fresh grass reach his ear, alerting him of an unknown presence. His ears perk up, swiveling ever so slightly to catch the foreign sound. The sound slowly grows louder, each step bringing their bearer closer to his resting place. The boy slowly opens his left eye and sees someone, an unfamiliar figure—one of a girl in a soft blue dress, complimenting the sky above.
As she approaches, the boy notices a faint gleam of sunlight, reflecting off of the silver necklace around her neck. She appears to have a pair of pointy ears atop her head, long black hair cascading down her back, almost reaching her long tail, swinging behind her like a pendulum. In a land so empty of detail, her presence feels like that of a flower, a streak of color across the blank landscape. Though her soft appearance stuns him, her face is turned aside, her eyes avoiding the rays of the climbing sun.
The boy gave a gentle smile to the girl before closing his left eye again.
"Oh, it's you."
The girl remains silent as she sits right next to the boy, who is resting on the soft grass draped across the hill. She rests his head on her lap and begins to caress the boy's head with her soft and slim hands, slowly traveling across his
"The feeling of touch never tires me, Sheri."
He thumps his tail on the ground in appreciation; the boy, who rests on Sheri's lap, is not human either. Who is he and where did he come from? How did he fall into this form, through luck, misfortune, or planning?
The answers lie within this story. The story of the adventure of the boy named Shouya Kirikage.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"R-R-R-R-R-YUZAARUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!."Kenjin would scream.He would start to unleash a blood-curdling scream."The heat is insane, and the sun should not be this bright, it's still morning time." a man would say while brushing off sweat from his forehead.Kenjin's scream could be heard from miles upon miles away, attracting more people to the crowd."This noise, this heat. It feels painful somehow. L-like every inch of my body is being prickledby thousands upon thousands of flaming needles. It does not hurt it's just uncomfortable."Said one of the guards whilst rubbing his skin to try to make it stop.After ten to fifteen minutes the screaming suddenly stopped as Kenjin vomited out a streamof blood, he was on both hands and knees as he began to pass out, still with tears streaming down his face. he would fall into the blood soaked mud, sinking half of his face in it."That familiar f-feeling, that heat, this boy is dangerous." The guard that read him his sentence would think to himself with a shocked look on his face."ADDING ON TO YOUR EXILE AND BANISHMENT FROM THE KINGDOM, YOU WILL SERVE 50 YEARS OF HARD LABOUR AT THE RANDER WELT LABOUR CAMP." The guard would announceThe crowd would go silent. People started to whisper among each other."They be sending that boy to Randerwelt eh?" a man whispered to his friend."I doubt he will even survive the journey, let alone stay at that godforsaken place forover half a century." One woman whispered.As Kenjin's consciousness was fading, he would remember glimpses of his childhood.Kenjin's only memory of his father was when he killed his mother out of rage, his fatherlater being arrested and executed by the guards. His mother was a prostitute known forsleeping with hundreds of men, being rude, not being very smart, and havingbeautiful blue eyes. When Kenjin was born his mother despised him for making her work harder to feed him and herself. After his mother cheated on his father he killed her with a metalrod. His father was an abusive man, he would regularly take out his anger on Kenjin. He adapted to his beatings and started thinking of ways to fight backor escape from him when he was on a rampage. At the age of 5 years, Kenjin had to spend over a week on the streets because his father told him to leave and never come back.He would regularly sleep in the mud, steal food, and rob from poorly made graves on the street. As he grew up the only family that he knew was his kind little brother, so Kenjin protected him with his life. Later on, he met Mr. Faran, who taught him how to defend himselfif anything happened, but he was never really too good at that. Around the age of 8, Kenjin crossed paths with a man in a white uniform, and a beautiful white haori.
This man had long flowing blond hair and was surrounded by Guards that seem
to have been protecting him. Kenjin was getting mugged by two large men who
hustle for Numisma (Money). Just as one of the men was about to throw a punch
at Kenjin, his upper body would slide forwards and fall off.
"W-WHAT THE HELL." the other man said with a scared and shocked look on his face.
The Blond haired man would walk up to him.
"Turn around and get on your knees, and apologize to this child. Since I did not see
you attempt to attack the boy I cannot punish you any more than this."
The Blond haired man said with an expressionless look on his face.
the mugger started to beg and plead for his life.
"P-PLEASE DON'T KILL ME." the mugger cried out
" Send him to camp." the blond man said to his guards.
The guards then proceeded to pick the man up from the floor and lock him in large metallic square-sized handcuffs. As the guards dragged the man away, without speaking another word
the blond hair man turned around and started walking away.
"h-HEY I COULD HAVE DONE THAT ON MY OWN, I DONT NEED YOU PEOPLE IN YOUR WEIRD CLOTHING TO COME HELP ME." Kenjin yelled at the man.
The blond man continued to walk away, without ever looking back.
"What an aggressive child. His attitude and eyes set him apart from the rest of the people
that inhabit this filthy place, the slums are a strange place indeed. Somebody like him is definitely not cared for by anyone, out of all the sick dying, poor, hungry, desperate, things living here he seems to still somehow have hope. He will soon come to find out that
leaving poverty, Leaving the slums 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓫𝓵𝓮." the blond man thought to himself while walking away.
His eyes slowly start to open. Kenjin would find himself locked into an iron contraption that he is wearing like a helmet. he is in giant squared handcuffs, so heavy that he is forced to lean forwards. As he looks around he sees he is sitting in a small iron-like coffin with other men,
who are locked in with the same cuffs and headlocks as him. He can hear the galloping of
horses.
As he looks out one of the small holes in the wall, he would see that they are moving through a barren desert.
"T-they must me transporting me, They must be transporting to that place they are all so afraid of." he thought to himself.
"Ahh, finally awake? how ya doing?" the man sitting next to him said with a smile on his face.
He was bald, and had a large beard, with torn clothes.
"My name is Gerard. What is your name young sir?" The man asked.
Kenjin would stay quiet and look away.
"Oh, I see your parents thought you the way of the HeiligeKirche? That's fine you don't have to tell me your name if it's your belief, Well I personally never learned about any of that stuff so I am fine with you calling me Gerard. The gentleman with the afro here is Abironos Zhalair,
across from you is Mr. Bergenheiser, and sitting next to him is Duarar Rowalt.
We heard about you. You caused quite a ruckus. They got us for trying to steal food, so that would kind of make you the big man of this cart if you think about it hehehehe." Gerard said while slightly chuckling.
while Gerard is talking, Kenjin is looking down with a shocked and horrified look on his face and 1 word repeats in his mind
"Ryu- Ryu. Ryu, Ryu, ryu, RYU."
Kenjin would try to suppress the images of his little brother's corpse, as best as he could.
After a few hours of driving in the desert, something becomes apparent.
"G-gosh it's like an oven in here, the temperature is insane, and my throat is completely dry."
Gerard says while breathing heavily.
It feels like all the moisture in the air is evaporating. Kenjin looks out the window at a barren desert and sees something unusual.
"Th-the sand is shining. I-its like thousands of tiny stars as far as the eye can see." He thought to himself while looking out through the hole in the wall.
"It's glass.." Says the man sitting across from Kenjin.
"It's glass, we are currently traveling through what is called "𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵".
The Valley of Hell is an enormous desert that is known for its insanely high temperature,
travel through the valley is only allowed on the outskirts of it.
The Deeper you travel into the Valley, the hotter it gets, if you look at the horizon you can see
thousands of shining lights. That is the reflection of light on masses of sand grain-sized pieces of glass, the temperature turns the sand to glass that's how high the temperature gets if you continue that way. Some expedition groups have tried to explore further than what they call the " 𝓖𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼 𝓓𝓾𝓷𝓮𝓼".
If traveled even further the tint of the air and sky begins to change to a light shade of red.
If one enters this area they will be lit on fire. Surviving this plain is almost impossible since water evaporates around the glass dunes. Architects backed by large kingdoms have tried to
travel further and further, but are unable to pass an area they dubbed "𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓮𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼."
The fire is so intense that it Burns as high as the clouds. Nothing as of yet has been seen to get
passed the flames. These Flames are able to be transported and moved, But the cost is a whole operation team of 500 workers that try to extract candle-sized flames. 90% of them don't make it back alive."
"H-how do you know so much about it?" Kenjin would ask.
"Because i was sent on one of these operations. It is pure hell, it's a sick joke, Hundreds if not thousands of people died just so that they can create weapons to murder even more people."
The man said with a disturbed look on his face.
"Why do they treat their own people like this? i don't ge-" Kenji's line of thought would be interrupted by screaming from outside the cart, followed by a sudden flip of the cart.
The cart would roll onto a rock and one of the walls would be broken through.
As the cart finally stops rolling, they are left with an escape as there is a hole in the wall.
Kenji would slowly start the stand up as the impact of the crash broke his handcuffs and the chains connected to the wall. As Kenjin looks at the other captives he sees the man with the afro "Duarar Rowalt." bleeding large amounts of blood from his headlock.
"W-we hav-e to help h-im." Kenjin said stuttering.
"We can't help him boy he is already gone we need to move." Gerard said as he held his shoulders.
"A-re you just going to lea-ve your friend to die here" Kenjin responded with a confused look on his face.
"HE CAN'T BE HELPED. He's already gon-e it's too late." Gerard would yell at him as he tries to hold back tears.
The remaining 4 captives climb out of the iron casket they were traveling in.
They see giant boulders scattered everywhere. The Horses that were pulling the cart
Are lying dead on the floor. They hear a loud echo of a bird and look up, to see the figure of an eagle high in the sky, though it is hard to describe because of the sun.
The figure that was slowly moving through the sky suddenly stops and starts to get bigger and bigger, As their eyes widen at what they see, a giant shadow is cast onto them, They would be frozen out of horror.
𝓣𝓞 𝓑𝓔 𝓒𝓞𝓝𝓣𝓘𝓝𝓤𝓔𝓓... |
The school bell rings marking the end of high school today, in Japan. Many teens would be having fun doing stuff on their time off; going shopping, playing sports, hanging out with their friends, or even going to work at their part-time jobs.
Some students would often go to cram school as they would like to study, learn more and improve on their education and probably get a job one day, others would just head straight home and spend time with their family or stay home and rest after a long day of studying.
What could be more fun than living a regular and ordinary life?
"Hey, Shouya-san! Got a minute?"
This caught Shouya's attention, who turned to look at their classmate. He subtly looks around the room to see if there was anyone else that the boy was talking to. There is no one else present in the room. Everyone else had already left by the time the school bell rang. The only two people left are Shouya and the boy who called out his name.
"What is it?"
"You got any plans for tonight? Tonight is Anime Night at my place, and I was asking everyone if they would like to come by, and was wondering if you're interested in coming."
It would be fun to hang out with someone that has the same interests as him; if he accepted the boy's offer, maybe they'd get to know each other and hang out. That's what friends are for, right?
Of course, he would have.
In response to the boy's question, Shouya shook his head and declined the offer.
"Sorry, I have some things to take care of."
"I knew you would say that."
The boy slumps his shoulders and gives a heavy, dejected sigh in response to Shouya's decline. It wasn't a harsh answer that Shouya responded with, it was just an emotionless but honest answer he gave to him.
Even though he was saddened by Shouya's answer, the boy kept his head high and stayed cheerful.
"But at least you're honest. I don't want to think about what would happen if I invited too many people. It would be embarrassing."
Honestly, I wouldn't care.
Shouya thought, not daring to say it aloud, in case he hurt the boy's feelings.
Without any delay, Shouya grabbed his bag and said "Well, I'm off." as he distances himself between him and the boy. If he really is his friend, he would've at least accepted the boy's offer and enjoyed the night watching anime and stayed at his place for a while. It would've been fun to have someone to keep him company. But instead, he chose not to go.
"Ah, Shouya-san!"
As Shouya heard the boy call out his name, he stopped and turned as he gave a curious look to him. Even though he isn't friends with him, he still listens to anyone who interacts with him.
"Yeah?"
"I don't know if I should say this, but did you get any sleep for the past couple of days? You don't look so good."
From where the boy was looking, Shouya's eyes are bagged and show dark circles under his eyes. Maybe it was due to the fact that having the bagged eyes means that Shouya was lacking sleep. But what made him not get a good night's sleep? If he continues like that, his health may be at great risk.
As Shouya noticed what the boy had told him, he wiped away a tear from under his tired eyes.
"Oh, you've noticed?"
"From the looks of it, it seems like you're hiding something."
"How so?"
"Do you mind standing still here for a minute? I just want to check out your condition."
Shouya is both curious and confused about why would he want to stand still for him, but decides to go along with it.
The boy approaches Shouya with a curious look on his face. He then begins to extends his hands, both touching and examining every part of Shouya's body; his arms, his face, and even his back. He touched every part of the body while avoiding his private areas. He may as well become a doctor while he is at it.
As the boy searches Shouya's body for what was wrong with him, Shouya gave a look of discomfort, as the situation was getting a bit too awkward.
"C-Can you hurry it up? This is making me feel uncomfortable."
The boy did one last check on Shouya's body until he gave him a little space and said "All done."
"Well, what are the results?"
"Based on the condition and the state of your body, you're gonna be cosplaying for an upcoming convention, aren't you?"
"Huh?!"
Shouya was surprised by what the boy just said.
Cosplay
. Trembling from the boy's question, he gave a soft nod, flustered by his question.
From all of that body check, he gave the answer right off the bat. But the question is, how? How did he know that Shouya is going to cosplay? Anyone else would have taken multiple guesses to get it right, but the boy had only picked one answer, and he answered it correctly.
"So I
am
right."
"But how did you know that I was gonna cosplay?"
"It's because of your hands. I can tell just by looking at your hands."
"—Ah."
The boy uses his hand to point at Shouya's slim hands. Shouya looks down to where the boy is pointing and reveals that some of his fingers were swollen red. He wasn't wrong. It was due to the fact that Shouya's hands were swollen from making his costume for the past few days that his hands began to swell. He hadn't noticed it until the boy pointed it out just now and he had forgotten to wear bandages on them. Although if he were to wear them in school, it would be an easy dead giveaway.
Luckily, the boy was the only one who noticed it. If it were anyone to notice it right away, it would've been hard for Shouya to explain as to why his hands were swollen in the first place.
"I know a friend of mine who cosplays, too. He told me everything that he experienced: going to conventions, meeting some voice actors, and he even taught me how to make a costume."
He sounds like a very nice guy. Maybe if get a chance to see him, maybe we would get to know each other.
If he ever saw the guy that the boy described in person, they would've been friends from the start. They would talk about their favorite food, favorite anime, and even their favorite video games. Not only that, they would probably work together to make the best costume they would ever make. It would be a dream come true.
Except, this isn't a dream, this is reality.
As Shouya gave a painted expression, the boy's joyful face slowly disappears as he looked at him with a troubled look on his face.
"But I'm serious, you need to take care of yourself."
"I know that, but..."
Shouya paused and took a brief moment to come up with an excuse for why he is overworking himself. He had worked on it for four days and it never seemed to trouble him. The boy, however, is worried that Shouya might die from the lack of sleep.
As Shouya was lost in thought trying to find the right excuse to say to him, the boy extended both of his hands and rested them on Shouya's shoulders.
"Listen, the only thing I care about is your health. So no matter what you say, no matter if you want to deny it, I'm always there for you no matter what."
"You sound like as if I was planning to kill myself."
"That's because you looked like it."
"Well, I wasn't going to!"
Both Shouya and the boy kept rambling back and forth for several minutes at the same argument. They finally dropped the topic and moved on to a different topic.
"Say, Shouya-san, Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
The next moment, the boy clasps both of his hands together and he asks him a question.
"Can I see who you're cosplaying as?"
It was a question that made Shouya's body tremble. He was shocked that he didn't expect him to ask that question in particular. He has always been alone all this time, so no one really asks him any questions.
"I-I can't. It's not done yet."
"Can you at least tell me
who
you are making?"
"T-Tell you?"
Shouya was fazed when he heard that he wanted to know who is he going to cosplaying as. He barely knows so little about him, so he has no idea what to say to him, but at the same time, he doesn't know anything about him either. This has brought Shouya to the corner. Shouya begins to ponder to himself as he tries to think about what to say to him.
Should I lie to him? Maybe I can lie that I'm going to be the main character from an anime and get away with it. Yes, I think I should tell him that.
"I'm going to cosplay as Arthur."
"From Royal Blades? That's amazing! You really have a good taste in anime."
"Yeah, you could say that."
He was astonished on Shouya's reveal on who he is going to cosplay as. Shouya's plan has now come into play. He has told the boy a character that he is going to cosplay as, but not the real character that he chose.
Now that he took the bait, this would probably leave Shouya alone and finally, he can be at peace—
"Hopefully, I'll get to see it at the convention."
Shouya snapped back to reality when he heard the phrase "
I'll get to see it at the convention."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you this."
The boy reaches down to his own pocket and says "Ta-da!" as he shows Shouya a familiar pocket-size, rectangular paper in front of him. It is not just an ordinary piece of paper, it is an entry ticket to go to the convention.
"I'm going to the convention, too. This may have cost me almost my entire allowance, but it was worth it. Now we can go to the convention together."
Upon hearing this, Shouya feels a mix of happiness and jealousy towards the boy, who had bought a ticket for the convention. Tickets usually cost more than eight-thousand yen per ticket, so getting one is a hassle. Not only that it's expensive, but it's also hard to get since it's mostly sold out and hard to find in some places where they sell them.
Aww crap!
Shouya thought as if Shouya had realized something.
Not only had Shouya had told the boy a lie, his plan had also backfired. He had remembered that he said he was going to cosplay as Arthur from an anime called
Royal Blades
. It was a huge mistake on Shouya's part, now it is too late to call it back.
"Hey, there's something I should—"
"I thought I heard something."
Before Shouya could say anything, a middle-aged man opened the door with an annoyed look on his face. Shouya and the boy didn't expect anyone would still be in the school. Most of the students had already left the campus by the time they had started talking. This can only mean one thing, the homeroom teacher.
"Kirikage, Daira, school already ended fifteen minutes ago, You two should've been home by now."
"Oh jeez, it's already late?"
The boy looked at the class clock to check the time. It was already a quarter after three. Shouya should've left the school a couple of minutes ago and worked on his cosplay, but those plans had been delayed because the boy interacted with him and kept talking for a little while.
The boy quickly grabbed his bag and headed out towards the door.
"See you later, teach! And good luck with your cosplay, Shouya-san!"
"But I was going to—"
"You can tell me next time. Anyways, see ya!"
Not before long, the boy has already exited the room without giving a chance for Shouya to say anything, leaving only Shouya by himself.
Things aren't going as planned as Shouya had hoped for. He wanted to tell the truth to the boy about what he is actually going to cosplay, but instead, he told a lie that will make him regret his life. And for that reason, the boy will be attending the convention, the same convention that Shouya is going to. If the boy sees what his cosplay really looks like, he'll lose his trust in Shouya.
While Shouya tries to find out what to say to the boy, the teacher breaks the silence by clearing his throat.
"You do know that you're still here."
"Ah, right. Sorry, Sensei."
He quickly grabbed his bag and left the classroom, leaving the school grounds.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
After he had left school, he took a train ride to get to his home. It took him fourteen train stops—roughly around twenty minutes—to reach from his school to his home. Luckily, with modern technology, he does not have to worry about getting late for school for the next day.
"Finally, I'm home."
Shouya gave himself a sigh of relief as he arrived at his house. He takes out the key from his pocket and opens the door and enters his house. From there, he walks past the living room and heads straight up the stairs in front of him. He sees an already opened door on the second floor with lights flashing and loud noise coming from the other room and sees a girl sitting on a chair, playing a video game on the TV.
Ah, it's Hina-chan. I guess she's still playing video games even though I was gone.
The only reason why Hina lives here with Shouya is that she is actually Shouya's sister, the only major difference is that she is younger than Shouya—five years younger, give or take.
Both of their parents are always working every day and they barely have any time to have fun together as a family. Since Shouya goes to school every day, Hina is the only one in the house alone. When she is alone, she often spends her time playing video games non-stop until Shouya gets home to go out and spend some time with each other, only if Shouya is not busy with something.
Should I let her know? Actually, on second thought, it's best I don't bother her. Wouldn't want to ruin her concentration.
Instead of talking to his sister, he walked out of her room and began to walk to the door that is right next to Hina's room and began to open it.
His room is not too small, but not too big, either. Shouya's room has a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall, a video game console that is under the TV, a computer, and a collection of manga, anime, light novels, and video games that are stacked on each shelf.
Outside of his home, he is nothing but an ordinary student. But in his private life, he is a hardcore otaku. If Shouya had any free time, he would be doing most of this stuff; but right now, he is currently working on completing his cosplay.
Shouya walks to the closet and finds some cosplay equipment and the costume that he is going to wear. Of course, it's not completed, not yet anyway. He brings the costume from the closet and lays them down flat on top of his bed.
He sits on the chair and turns his chair around towards the computer and turns it on. Shouya began to move the mouse and pointed to the browser. The browser opens and he types on his keyboard: "
Frank Berkler"
and images of him pop up on the screen.
He clicked on the image and found a full body of Frank's battle pose. Based on the image, he's a large six-foot tall beast-man covered with bright, brown fur and wields a large battle-ax at hand, getting ready for a bloodthirsty battle.
Shouya looks at the unfinished costume and back at the image to get the idea of how he is going to make his costume.
"Alright, let's continue where we left off."
He gets the materials he needs and starts preparing on making his dream costume and turning it into a reality.
After several hours had passed, Shouya had finally finished making his costume. The head, the hands, the tail, the feet, all the body parts for his costume are perfectly replicated.
"Whew! It's finally finished. It took me a couple of days to get it done, but it was totally worth it."
It was no surprise that making a costume from scratch was a difficult task. Even with his hands blistering from making the costume, he had been working on it all day and night to finish making it.
"Now that the body is done, it's time for the weapon—ugh."
But before he can prepare to make the paper-mache battle-axe, Shouya has tumbled into his bed. This was due to the fact that he was up all night making his costume for four days without any sleep. The boy that was in the school with him was right. He had warned him not to overwork himself, now he has paid the price.
"How about I'll do it tomorrow. I mean, it's just paper-mache, it isn't going anywhere. I can make it any day I want, right?"
Instead of actually going to make the battle-axe, Shouya laid down on his bed with his weak and tired body.
His body feels light, his mind becomes hazy, Shouya's eyes start to close as he slowly begins to fall asleep. The fatigue has gotten to him really badly; he is too tired to get himself to move a muscle, or even speak loudly. But since he had been working for four days straight, he finally deserves some rest.
"I just needed...a little sleep. That's all. Yeah, a good night's sleep should do it."
Shouya's field of vision became darker and darker, surrounding the light that was around him with darkness. And then, it fades to black. Silence is all he could hear, darkness is all he sees, and all he is feeling, is nothing. He had spent so much time working on that costume that he had forgotten to sleep. Now he has finally gotten the chance to get a goodnight's sleep.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
Hours had passed since he slept. Small light rays shine into the room from the gaps of the window, meaning it is already dawn. Shouya pulled up the blankets at his face to avoid being irritated by the sun's rays.
"Please Mr. Sun, just ten more minutes."
Shouya mutters to himself as he uses the blankets to cover his body in his sleep. It is probably because he worked all night in completing the costume for the convention. Shouya isn't always the morning person; he always overworks himself by working on a costume or stays up all night to watch an anime that is past his curfew. But since he had worked all night finishing the costume, he does deserve some extra time in bed.
It was later short lived by a knocking sound behind the door.
"I'll be down in a minute."
After he voiced his upcoming arrival, he went back to sleep on the soft bed. But that didn't stop him for long. The knocking continues to sound in the room.
"I said I'll be down— Wait, no one in my family ever knocks."
But before he repeated the same line that he said before, Shouya paused mid-sentence and he realized that something was off. His vision becomes clear as he slowly opens his eyes only to see that something is wrong. The room where Shouya slept is significantly different to what he used to. The interior of the room is slightly bigger than his room.
Shouya places his feet on the cold, wooden floor below him, he even shivers just by touching it. Both the floor and the ceiling above him are unfamiliar to him. What once existed in his room; his TV, computer, video games and even his collection of anime and manga, are now missing.
What is this place? This doesn't look like my room at all. But more importantly, just who is behind that door?
Just as Shouya tries to figure out where he is, the door keeps knocking from the other side. It must have been knocking while Shouya was sleeping. He had thought that it was his sister or his parents that were trying to wake him up, but was neither.
Shouya lifted himself from the bed and he cautiously approaches the door. Just who—or what—is behind that door? He wants to figure out what is going on. He swallowed his own saliva as he was ready to open the door and see what's behind it.
Just as he opens the door, a bright light shines at Shouya's face, blinding him from his view around the room. As the light starts to fade, his view slowly becomes clear and starts to gain his sense of reality.
"—ning sir."
"Huh?"
There is an unfamiliar voice calling out to him. But whose voice is it? A young girl? An old man? Or a middle-aged woman? He couldn't tell who was calling for him. That is when his sense of hearing becomes clearer and clearer.
And then...
"Good morning, sir."
"H-Huh?!"
It was not a man or a woman—or to be more precise, it is not human, either. It appears to be a large, anthropomorphic, human-like fox—who has the exact the same height as Shouya—standing right in front of him,
"A-Ahhh!"
Shouya, surprised by this turn of events, shouts and falls into the floor by the fox's surreal physical appearance.
"Are you ok, sir?!"
Not only can the fox-human walk on two legs like a human, but it also can talk like a human, too. It wears a maid-like uniform as clothing on top of its bright red fur. Based on the fox's attire and the fox's feminine voice, it appears that this humanoid fox is a female.
"Wh-What are you?!"
"What am I? Well, I'm a Foxien, but I guess it's pretty obvious that I am. But never mind about me, are you alright?"
"'Foxen'? But never mind that, you're a fox! Foxes can't talk!"
"What do you mean? Yes, we can. You're like me, too, aren't you?"
"That's ridiculous! How am I— Wh-Wha...?"
Just as before Shouya can even rebuttal the fox-girl's statement, he pauses and he looks at his hand. His hand—no, his entire arm—is covered with dark, black fur around him. Shouya ran over towards a nearby mirror to see that the fox-human was not lying.
He looked at the reflection of the mirror to see the truth of what has happened to his body.
"This can't be happening!"
His entire body—his arms, legs, and even his face—is covered with black and white fur. In addition, his ears are on top of his head instead of on the sides of his head, a bushy tail located on the back of the pelvis, and a dog-like frame.
"Just what happened to my body?!"
If you were to look at a picture, Shouya is just your typical, average boy who is in his second-year in high school in his homeland in Japan. But unlike most people, Shouya is limited to himself in sociality, calling himself an "introvert". He rarely goes out in public and he barely makes any friends—or to be more precise, he doesn't have any friends. Even though he would've wanted to make a single friend, he often comes off as timid or shy and may sometimes stutter some words that he would say.
Shouya does not have any kind of special traits like: super strong, super smart, super famous, or even any talents. He is just an ordinary student who lives an ordinary life.
Of course, if you can call it "ordinary".
"This can't be real, how did I get here? How is this even possible?!"
He remembered that he was working on a cosplay for the upcoming convention, then he fell asleep shortly after he had completed his costume. So is it possible that this world is some sort of a dream?
He didn't want to believe it, but that is the truth. Shouya's body has been transformed into an anthropomorphic animal—a figure of a human, but the appearance of an animal. His entire body is covered with pitch-black fur from head-to-toe, but only his mouth, his chest, and his abdomen are covered in a creamy white fur. His head resembles a wolf with a dog-like muzzle, ears, and nose.
Shouya, bewildered by his new appearance, denies the possibility that his new body is actually real.
"This must be a dream. Yeah, it has to be! If this is a dream, then I'm sure I'll be able to wake up! All I have to do is..."
As Shouya tries to wake himself up, he pinches his own arm and cries out "ow ow ow ow ow!", but nothing happens. He tried multiple attempts to wake himself up: slapping his face, splashed water on himself, and even closed his eyes, counted to ten, and then reopened them. But nothing happened. He is still stuck in his unfamiliar new body.
"So nothing worked. I guess I really
am
stuck in this body."
All Shouya can do is sit on the bed and sigh as he has no idea how to get back to his own world and return to his normal human body. If he can't return to his world in his human form, he will not get to see his family again, or even go to meet the boy and tell him the truth. He must find a way to return to his world whatever he can.
"Umm...sir. Are you okay?"
The fox-girl, confused by this situation, breaks the silence as she speaks out.
Shouya was so focused on thinking on how to get out of this world that he has completely forgotten about the fox-girl's presence in the room. She'd probably watched him doing ridiculous things and splashed water on himself so that it made some mess on the floor while she was in the room.
She may think that he has lost his sanity and probably needs help. Luckily, Shouya is not that kind of person who would do that.
Shouya, just now noticing the fox-girl's presence, looks at her in embarrassment.
"Oh, I'm so sorry you had to see that!"
"No, no, it's ok."
"But, about the mess..."
"You don't have to worry about that. I can clean it up."
Shouya has offered that he would help with the mess he made, but the fox-girl waved her hand vigorously as she declined his offer. She approaches the water-soaked spot of the floor, takes out a towel from her apron, and gently wipes off the floor with it.
Shouya could not help but to feel guilty for cleaning up the mess that she did not do. So he went to the bathroom to find a hand-size towel and helped her with the mess.
"You don't really have to—"
"It's my fault that I made this mess, so let me help you."
Shouya helped the fox-girl clean the wet floor with the dry towel at hand. As much as she did not want anyone to help her, she decides to give up and gladly accepts his offer with a soft smile on her face. They both cleaned the floor for a while until it was dry.
After several minutes of cleaning, the floor became dry and sparkly clean. It was thanks to Shouya's act of kindness that assisted the fox-girl's work. If he would have left the room and let the fox-girl do the cleaning all on her own, he could have gotten away with all the chore work, but he would also feel a sense of regret.
Shouya wipes the sweat on his forehead and sighs in relief, feeling that he did the job without any regrets.
"Whew! Glad that worked out."
"Yeah, thank you. But why did you help me?"
"Well, it's because I have a soft side towards your kind."
"'Our kind'? But you're the same as us, aren't you?"
The fox-girl tilted her head to the side in confusion as if she didn't understand what he was talking about. Shouya slapped his own forehead with his palm.
"Oh, right, I forgot."
He had completely forgotten that he had transformed into a demi-beast when he had woken up in this world. This is something that Shouya has to get used to.
"Anyways, what is this place?"
"You don't know? You're in our inn."
"An inn?"
The wooden floors and ceilings, the medieval-style structure, there is no doubt about it, this place is definitely an inn. Shouya has never visited an inn before back in his own world, so this is his first time in person to be in an inn.
"I've gotta say, this room deserves four stars."
"I'm happily glad you liked it, sir."
She places her hand on her chest and bows as she is praised by Shouya's words.
"You don't
have
to call me 'sir' every time. Oh, now that I think about it, we haven't even introduced ourselves."
When Shouya entered this world, the fox-girl has been calling him
sir
ever since he got here. It is true that the fox has not heard his name before, but Shouya has not heard her name before.
They both began to introduce themselves.
"My name is Shouya Kirikage. It's nice to meet you."
The fox-girl introduced herself by raising her skirt and forming a curtsy in a ladylike manner. Then she gave Shouya a blissful smile.
"My name is Alisa Lightburn. It's nice to meet you too, Shouya.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"Jakki! Gina!"
Enna arrived downstairs to see the massacre where the battle took place. She saw nothing but the destruction of the store that once was. Potteries scattered on the floor, the interior destroyed, and flowers died from all the fighting. It was a devastating sight to see, but she ignored the smallest detail surrounding her as she ran towards her kids.
"Mama!"
Despite the fight having already ended, Jakki ran up and hugged his mother out of frightfulness. She looked at Gina, who was laying down on the ground, kneeling in front of her and she shook her body to try to wake her up. Gina slowly wakes up to see the light from her green eyes.
"M-Mama? Waaah!"
She hugged her mother tightly and bawled her eyes out. After going through what she went through, she had the right to cry. She was scared, afraid, and even at a young age, this event would scar her for the rest of her life.
"It's alright, dearie. Mama is here."
As a parent, Enna does her best to comfort her crying daughter. Meanwhile, Shouya got off the ground and surveyed the area as he wondered what happened.
Did we...actually won?
He had shortly passed out after Darmac had tortured him and how much he was screaming, so he didn't get to witness the entire fight, only half of it. This is one of the many weaknesses that Shouya has.
He was very weak—both physically and mentally. He couldn't fight back to protect himself and others, and he couldn't last thirty seconds without being knocked out. He wasn't trained to fight nor had any past experience in combat, and he wasn't mentally prepared to foresee these events.
Shouya was nothing but a weak and fragile boy who couldn't do anything.
Gin approached him and pats him on the shoulder.
"Hey, you alright?"
"Yeah. Ah, your wound!"
"Oh, this? This is nothing."
"No, it isn't! You're bleeding a lot of blood! We gotta get you to Enna, fast!"
"Over-exaggerate much? You're starting to sound like Enna, you know?"
"W-Wha...?"
"Wa-ha-ha! There's nothing to worry about. I've taken worse hits in my time. Compared to others that I have dealt with, this is actually nothing to worry about. So don't sweat it."
Despite Shouya worrying about his injuries, Gin doesn't seem to be concerned about it. No matter how bloody his injury is—big or small—he sees it like it was nothing. Considering that he
was
a military member, the Grey Moon, getting injuries or cuts isn't something new to him, more like that he was used to it over the years.
"Papa!"
Both Jakki and Gina ran towards Gin and hugged their father's legs tightly. Enna approached Gin and Shouya with a sigh of relief to see her husband and lover, still standing and breathing.
"Glad to see both of you are still alive."
"Hm. It was all thanks to Gin. Guess that's the second time you saved me. I owe it all to you"
"Oh, stop it. You're making me blush."
The friendly comment coming from Shouya made Gin's cheeks go red. But his playful expression quickly turned to a frown when he looked back at Darmac's unconscious body.
"Although, I couldn't say the same to him..."
"You know this guy?"
"Yes. Darmac was an old friend of ours...and a comrade in the Grey Moon. He was regarded as the most influential member of the Grey Moon. He helped me and Enna lead the battlefield onward and win every war we fought. You could say that he was our
ace in the hole
."
Hearing this bit of information about Gin and Enna's past was a surprise to Shouya. He was an old companion of Gin and Enna back then. But now, he had turned from an ally to a formidable enemy.
"What do you think made him turn out like this?"
"Hmm... It's been a long time that my memory is a bit hazy. Sorry."
It had been eighteen years since Gin and Darmac last met. Gin and Enna's memories aren't like what they're used to and it had been years since the war had ended, so they could hardly recall what had happened between them and Darmac.
Shouya asked them a question that he was curious about for a while.
"Egakhan and the 'Inquisitor', do you have any idea who they are?"
It's only natural that he would ask that question. Not a day has passed since he just arrived in another world yet all of this information that he didn't know just hit him across his face. With no knowledge of who they are or this world's history, all of this information just flew over his head.
Enna, who was also in this conversation, was the first person to respond to his question.
"Egakhan. He was once known as the Dragon King. The Ruler of the Skies. He's been around for hundreds of years; terrorizing the world, sending fear and chaos to the world. He was regarded as 'the dragon that could not be beaten'. Not until the Five Heroes sealed the Dragon King in the very center of the earth, never to see the light of day again. But even though he was sealed, descendants of Egakhan are still on the rise to avenge his father that one day, his seal would be broken and Egakhan would be reborn."
Learning about the past of the Dragon King is something that Shouya couldn't comprehend. It was extraordinary. Listening to the history of Egakhan is like something out of a fairy tale, or in this world, a legacy that was left behind for centuries. Not only that, the descendants of Egakhan may still exist and still be alive in this world to exact revenge.
Now knowing the history behind it, Shouya knows why they were afraid in the first place and they have the right to be feared.
"W-Wow! I never knew that this world has so much history... So I guess the Inquisitor is one of them?"
"That's right! The Inquisitor lineage has been passed down from generations ever since five-hundred years ago."
Geez, so it was
that
long ago.
"But why is he obsessed with facing them?"
When Shouya asked that question, in response, Gin couldn't help but scratch his head, wondering about that as well.
"That, I don't know. He was never this obsessed before. Maybe it was because of
her
?"
'Her'?
It was one thing that Shouya heard before Gin muttered. He couldn't understand what he exactly meant; it wasn't something that caused Darmac to go nuts, but someone made him do it.
"Any idea who—"
"—!!"
Before Shouya could dig deeper, the three of them heard an explosion. The explosion was so loud that everyone from Vincilos could hear it from their homes, thus waking them up from their sleep. Shouya and others glanced at the source where it came from.
"Wha?!"
"What the hell?!"
"By the gods!"
They couldn't believe their eyes at what they were seeing; below them, they saw a house on fire from a distance. They can see people destroying properties, breaking glasses, and throwing molotov cocktails or casting fire magic that sets the houses on fire. They can even see people being dragged from their homes.
This is mutiny, so disturbing, so vulgar. Who would go through to such lengths to start a riot?
"What is going on?"
"I'll tell you what's going on. We're unleashing hell!"
The three of them heard a voice and when they turned behind them, they saw Darmac, still standing with blood falling from his elbow where his arm was—no, not only his right arm was missing, but his right eye too. Gin punched him so hard—perhaps too hard—that his eye must've flown out from his socket. Now they can only see the pitch black empty void where his eye was.
"What did you do?!"
"Don't you see? The Blue Sharks are beginning their rise to taking over Vincilos, just as planned."
"'As planned'? What are you talking about?"
"The first step was to cause chaos in this city. Initially, I was going to lure
him
here, but since you're in this place, and I didn't want to let my revenge go to waste, I decided to change my plan to take you and this city at the same time!"
"'Him'?"
Listening to the conversation back and forth between the two beastmen, Shouya didn't get what Darmac was saying. What does he mean about
him
? Who was he talking about? Who was he planning to lure? Gin backed him up and gave a definitive answer to Darmac.
"I get it now... You're planning to lure the Inquisitor here, am I right?"
"
Bingo!
You're not dumber than I thought you were over the past few years."
"So what? If the Inquisitor comes here, he'll beat the Blue Sharks and then the city will be saved!"
Shouya's simple deduction came out as a possibility. If that were the case, then this could work in their favor. Bringing the Inquisitor here was their safe bet and their one and only chance to save the city. The Inquisitor, one of the Five Heroes, will save Vincilos.
However...
"I'm afraid that's not simple."
"...Eh?"
When he looked at Gin, instead of a smile of joy and relief, his face remained in a frown, despite the good news that was on their side. Shouya didn't understand what he meant; he asked him what the reason was.
"What do you mean?"
"Perhaps you don't know this, but...if the Inquisitor comes here, Vincilos will be destroyed."
"W-What?!"
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. The Inquisitor, one of the Five Heroes, instead of going to save Vincilos, he's going to destroy it. Shouya was in bewilderment that he didn't hear about this until now.
"B-But he's the hero! Shouldn't he be saving everyone?!"
"Just because he has a 'hero' in his title doesn't mean he's an actual hero. The Inquisitors were made to destroy cities, no matter if there's enemies or civilians in the cities."
"..."
Shouya couldn't say anything but found himself shocked when he heard about this. His simple deduction just backfired on him. Not only that he wasn't aware that the Inquisitor can destroy cities, but he will kill everyone in the city regardless if innocent lives are at stake.
After Learning on what Darmac's true intent, Gin returned to his sights on Darmac.
"You're an idiot, Darmac! Do you know what will happen if he comes here?! He'll kill you too!"
"I don't care! Even if I lose to you, even if I don't reach my goal, I'll happily die here, along with everyone in this city, including you Ginny!"
Darmac has finally lost his marbles; his true nature was revealed. What he planned was so insane that no one would ever follow his dangerous plan, he isn't even afraid to face death. If what he said was true, then Vincilos is in great danger.
After sharing his diabolical plan, Darmac extends his elbow and points at them.
"Also, I'd better watch my back if I were you."
"P-Papa!"
"—!"
Shouya, Gin, and Enna heard a scream and turned behind them to see Jakki being held by Korovin. They were so focused on Darmac's plans that they didn't see or hear him coming. It was a sneaky diversion to get his attention away from him.
"Jakki!"
"Let him go!"
"
Glaga!
"
Before Gin could get close to them, Korovin casted a ball of white light shining in front of them, momentarily blinding their sights. As the light begins to dim, both Korovin and Jakki are nowhere to be seen.
"Damn it!"
Frustrated by this turn of events, Gin punched the ground in defeat. Enna broke down to her knees as he saw his son get kidnapped by a Blue Shark member. As for Shouya, he couldn't believe what he had witnessed.
N-No... I didn't save him.
He felt guilty that he couldn't save Jakki in time. If he had known this was coming, then he could've saved him from Korovin and wouldn't have captured Jakki in the first place. But now, he was too late.
While the three of them are at a moment of distress, Darmac bursts out laughing, despite the situation they're in.
"It looks like you're becoming rustier Ginny! You're becoming physically strong, but your senses are lacking again. You have, once again, failed to protect the someone you hold dear, just like from before. This is power, Ginny! You have no hope left now! Time is of the essence, but it doesn't matter now. This city is going to be destroyed along with you in it! I have already won!"
The moment after he says those final words, he falls backwards to the ground and his body comes in contact with the hard concrete and he is knocked out. Even though he is unconscious, his eyes are still wide open.
The sense of dread surrounds them. With their son being captured, their minds were filled with distraught as they didn't have any courage to fight back. This was despair.
"I-It's not too late, right?"
However, a voice called out loud to them. The one who said it first was Shouya. Instead of falling into despair, he sees himself with a glint of hope; hope of the possibility that they could get out of the situation and a way to save Vincilos.
"It's not too late to save this place! I mean, they're Blue Sharks members, so they have to have a leader. If we can beat the leader, then they will have to stop the riot, we'll save Jakki, and save Vincilos from destruction! That can work...right?"
Doubting himself, Shouya told his own idea to Gin and Enna that they could have a chance to save both Jakki and Vincilos. Beating the leader of the Blue Sharks is their only chance if they want to seize the riots. And if they could stop the Blue Sharks' rioting, then the Inquisitor wouldn't have to destroy Vincilos.
If that were the case, then Vincilos and its citizens would be saved.
With that idea on the table, Gin turned his face of despair to a smile and began to break out laughter at Shouya's solution. He got off the ground and pats him on the shoulder.
"Man, you really know how to make an old man laugh with your crazy idea. But you're right, it's not too late. There is still a chance!"
All of the weight that he had was brushed off. His mind is filled with hope and determination, determined to save the city and his son.
"Ah, Enna, would you please?"
"Don't worry, I got it! Oh, Shouya, I should do it too."
"O-Oh! Right."
Enna placed each of her hands on both Gin and Shouya's body and they began to shine a bright yellow light from her hands. This was the familiar healing magic when she healed Shouya's wound. Any cuts and bruises that they had before now repaired itself.
"Alright! Now Enna, I want you to evacuate all the people here."
"I can do that!"
"Then, I want you to get away from this city."
"Absolutely not! Don't forget, you and I are in this together!"
"This is no joke! I'm only doing this just to protect you! I don't want you to get hurt again."
"Are you still on that? I told you that it's in the past! Look, I've told you before, I can take care of myself!"
"This isn't the same this time, Enna!"
"..."
Enna fell silent when Gin shouted at her. It's a no-brainer that couples would argue about something they disagree with. In this situation, however, it is different. Gin, feeling guilty for lashing out at her, looked down and gave a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry, but this is not like last time. So many people are at stake here, including you two and Jakki. I love you, but I don't want to lose either of you. Not after all of that—"
"It's alright..."
Enna interrupted him by placing her hand on Gin's hairy chest. She was neither frustrated or upset; instead, she kept her emotions in check. Enna gently placed her other hand on top of her breast.
"I know what you mean and I know how you feel. You and I have been in the war for eighteen years. We've fought so many people and we've lost so many people that we know dear to our hearts. After leaving the military, we would live a peaceful life as a family. Even if trouble always follows us, you would always step in and save us from danger. So if you think that you're worried about me, it's alright. I understand."
"..."
"But, if you're thinking about risking your life not only to save our son, but also the people of Vincilos just by yourself, I couldn't just sit by and watch."
"Enna..."
"Before you say 'I'm doing this just to protect you', it was my choice. I'm not the helpless Lieutenant anymore. I made a vow. A vow that, in our marriage, we would stay at each other's side until death. There is no one in the world that is like you. If you were to give me a choice to flee from this city and move on from my life, I would rather die by your side than be with another man. You are my one and only, and no one in the world could replace you, a man who I truly love."
Gin was left completely silent, agape by Enna's words. It was no simple feat. They had been with each other for years; the years of them from being a military soldier to a loving mother and father that loves their children and always takes care of each other.
This was a bond between two romantic lovers. It's a relationship that was made in heaven.
They softly headbutted their heads, showing their affectionate love for each other.
"So please, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. But promise me that you'll come back alive."
The joy of having someone with you by your side; it is the feeling of warmth that is inside your heart, showing that you are not alone.
"...Alright."
The words reached out to Gin, who was awe-inspired by her loving wife's words, and gave a gentle smile. With his mind coming to his senses, he looks at Shouya and asks him a simple request.
"Would you mind tagging along with me?"
"Oh, yeah!"
"Enna, Gina, mind doing a small favor and get him out of here as well?"
He points at the body of the man who was laying on the ground unconsciously. Darmac had previously attacked Gin and his family, yet Gin wants him out of the city before the Inquisitor arrives.
"Why? He almost killed you?"
"I know, but I wouldn't forgive myself if he gets killed here, enemy or not. Besides, he has already suffered enough."
"If you say so..."
Enna wanted to rebuttal his decision, but she had no choice but to accept his request. She lifts him by the arms, but of course, his weight was too much for her to move just one side of the body, so Gina helps her move him by holding his legs up.
She looks at both Gin and Shouya with a worried expression.
"Just make it out alive, okay?"
"Don't worry, I got this in the bag!"
"And Shouya, please take care of him."
"Oh, you got it!"
She gives one last smile at them before both she and Gina move Darmac out of the city. Shouya and Gin, they are Vincilos's last hope. They're the only ones that can stop this madness and return Vincilos the way it was.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! C'mon, Warlord! Don't tell me that that's the best ya can do, or has age finally kicked in?"
"Pah! Age has nothing to do with my fighting!"
Pugar taunts his opponent as Gunther swings his warhammer, but every strike he tries to land a hit, his attacks keep getting blocked by the reptilian man's metal arm, acting as a shield, while he wields a sword in a backhand grip.
"Pugar! Stop procrastinating him and fight for real!"
"And end the fight already? But that wouldn't be any fun! Besides, ain't ya busy on yer end?"
While they were mouthing at each other, the beast-man raised his shield in an attempt to get a hit on him, but before he could, the elven man quickly casted a small barrier that is the same size of the beast-man's shield and protected him.
The elf man pushed his hand in front of the beastman and shouted "
Sadun
", firing a jolt of lightning from his hands. That attack pushed him away from the elf man and the beast-man with the crossbow fired some arrows at him as he rushed towards his comrade, but he raised a barrier and the arrows bounced off in front of him and landed on the ground.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah! This guy ain't easy for just the two of us."
"Perhaps you two should've reconsider your options. Should you surrender and walk away freely, join us, or die in this very place."
"Tch! There's no way in hell that we're ever gonna die! Not by you freaks!"
"That's too bad. I guess you will have to die then."
The elf raised his hand in front of them and chanted "
Valun
" and fireballs fired from the palms of his hands. The beastman quickly reacted and raised both of his shields to defend both him and his partner and pitch-black smoke surrounded them. From the smoke, several bolts fired at him, but a barrier casted in front of him, defending himself. As he was guarding, the beastman with the shields lept out from the smoke and lunged at the elf man with his shields like a meteor coming down at him. The elf man extends his other hand at the attacking man and summons a second shield above him.
Two magical shields that he summoned—one in each hand—had protected him; one at the beastman with the crossbow, constantly firing at him as he ran around him as he is trying to find a weak point, and one at the beastman with the shields above him, strong enough that he might be able to break his shield. But the question is, how long? How long must he defend? How long must survive facing the two beastmen? Luckily for him, Pugar was busy fighting against Gunther. If he hadn't joined with him to fight against the oppressors, he would have had a hard time fighting against the three of them all by himself.
"Is that all you can do? Shields are meant for defending, not attacking. What can you possibly do to hurt me with the weapons you have?"
"...By doing this!
Breakamalggo!
"
The moment he called it out, the shields suddenly gave an orange glow around them between the elf's magic shield and the beastman. But then, it broke. The elf's magic barrier suddenly broke. The elf couldn't believe his eyes that his shield was actually broken.
But it wasn't just his shield that broke, the beastman's shields broke along with it. That is the cost of using this ability; by using the ability,
Breakamalggo
, you'll be
not only breaking one's defences, but also breaking your own weapons, leaving you wide open. That is the sacrifice that he is willing to take.
"Now!"
To his call, the beastman fired his crossbow at the elf man. The bolt hit him, on his back. He can feel the pain coursing through him. But he wasn't done yet. Two more arrow bolts fired at him and pierced his body, then one more bolt, only this time, to the neck.
It was done for him. His body dropped forward, drowning in his own pool of blood.
"Lince!!"
Pugar looked and called at his fallen alley. Unfortunately, there was no life in him anymore. All there is left is a lifeless corpse.
"You bastard!"
He returned to his eyes towards Gunther, but only this time, he was furious. He was not the same man with a laid back roundabout expression, playfully teasing and provoking Gunther. His mind is now clouded with rage. He will not stand by and let these people, who killed his partner, live to tell the tale.
He charged in at Gunther and arm to punch him square in the face without warning, sending him dragging across the docks. Luckily he had used his flesh arm. If he had used his metal arm, it would be an instant knockout for sure, or even death.
"I will kill you... I WILL KILL YOU!!"
His fight tactic has now changed; he won't evade or even come up with a provoking quip to make fun at, he is now using his brute strength not to survive, but to avenge his fallen comrade, his friend, his brother.
Pugar, fueled with rage, unleashed a fury of punches towards Gunther. Gunther tries to block each punch using his warhammer, but they were so fast, so powerful, he couldn't defend all of them and he was blown back from the attack.
Before he could continue forward, three arrows were shot at him, stopping his tracks. However, the arrows didn't fully pierced his body. His rigid reptilian skin prevented the arrows from deepening any further. That is one of the plus sides of being born as a lizardman.
Lizardmen are known for their incredible strength and their powerful scaly hide, ranging from various strengths and colors passed down from their descendants. When a lizardman was born, they start to grow scales at the age of three, and then harden by the age of five. They can withstand such various attacks such as getting shot by arrows or getting hit by magic. Even some lizardmen can breath out fire from their mouth, so much so that they could be considered as dragons themselves, but that chances of that happening are one-in-a-million.
Pugar grabbed the three arrows that were stuck on his body and took them out without any hesitation. He then looked at the attacker with his bloodshot reptilian eyes.
"Grr... You will pay for killin' him, you bastard!"
He heads towards the attacker, but not on twos, but on fours, and instead of using his fists, he attempts to use his sharp teeth to bite him.
"Get away from him!"
In his way, the beastman used his arm to shove him away from the attack, defending his friend. But at the same time, his left arm was caught in the crossfire as the lizardman's fangs and bites him. The beastman cried out as each individual tooth pierced through his arm until he felt his arm numb. Holding on to his arm using his teeth, Pugar violently shook his head, flailing the poor beastman in the air for a couple of seconds until his arm was ripped apart from his body. He would've saved himself if he still had his shields on him, but unfortunately, they were destroyed when he casted Breakamalggo on the elf man, so as a result, he becomes the shield and defends his friend from harm.
He gnawed on the arm with his teeth, down to the bone, until he bit it apart, leaving remains of what it was on the floor. This is unordinary than anything else; he isn't the same person when they first fought.
"Rrrooooaaa!!"
He is on a whole completely another level. His mind is not in the right place anymore. His mind was consumed by anger and killer instincts. He is nothing but a wild, savage animal.
The wild and berserk Pugar turns towards the other beastman, who has his crossbow aimed at him, and charges towards him. The beastman fires his arrows from his crossbow, but the moment the arrows impacted the skin, they didn't penetrate his skin. Instead, it just bounced off from his body. The scales of his skin had reached the point that arrows couldn't do much damage on him.
He wanted to run away, he wanted to get out of the way from the attack, he wanted to go and help his fallen friend who was bleeding out from his missing appendage. But he couldn't. In truth, his legs are frozen out of fear that he couldn't control them. But despite that, he decides to stand his ground.
This is the end for him...at least, that's what he thought.
"—!"
Before he could sink his teeth on the beastman, a sudden hit struck Pugar and smacked him away from the beastman, crashing to a warehouse. It was a warhammer; grand as the eye can see.
"—Hey now! I won't let you eat another soldier!"
The beastman turned and the one who saved him was Gunther. Thankfully he stayed with them when they were fighting. If it was just the two beastmen against both Lince and Pugar, the situation would've been a different outcome.
"Go help out your friend. I'll take care of him."
"How are you gonna pull this off? My arrows couldn't even pierce him."
"I've got a plan, now go!"
Listening to Gunther's command, he headed towards his bleeding friend. Pugar, after the hit that he received from Gunther's warhammer, quickly got up and was able to stand. His scales can withstand any physical attacks, including a warhammer. So to him, it was nothing but a scratch.
Pugar starts to charge at him full speed on all fours and Gunther is on standby as he draws closer, waiting for the perfect time to attack. He gets closer and closer. Then...
"Haaa!!"
Roaring with pride, Gunther jumped over the attack that was coming towards him and held onto the lizardman's back. The savage lizardman shakes his body, trying to escape his clutches, but Gunther didn't give up, he still held on.
Gunther could try to beat him in his blindspot, but due to his scales being hard, it'll only do minimal damage to him.
Instead, he did the alternative.
"Here it is! Hah!"
Using the butt of his warhammer, he lodged it in-between the gaps of the lizardman's mechanical arm and the flesh of his body. And with his absurd strength, he pulled it and tore the arm from Pugar, leaving nothing but pieces of metal landing on the floor and having nothing to defend himself.
"Guuuaaaaa!!"
"Don't worry, I'm not done yet!"
Still using his warhammer, he used the handle side, placed it on the lizardman's mouth, and pulled his head back with it. Pugar tries to shake him off again, even as much as slamming him to the wall, but no matter how hard he tried, Gunther wouldn't let go. He attempts to reach him with his remaining arm, but before he could, the hammer-wielding Gunther twists his head to the side, pulling him to the ground, with Pugar on top of him.
But they are not done yet. Gunther continues to hold on to the warhammer as the handle is still in the lizardman's mouth and twists his head to the left at a ninety degree angle. Pugar tries to free himself and get the warhammer off of him, but with just the one arm that he has, it isn't enough to break himself free. Gunther continues to twist him hard enough until eventually, he can hear the bones of the lizardman's neck cracked and his arm flopped on the ground.
That was it, his rampage had stopped and the beast was defeated.
Gunther crawled out of the paralized lizardman's body as he stood himself from the ground, proud and exhausted of his victory against the mad beast. He walked towards the two beastmen; one treated the other beastman's wound by stopping the bleeding from where his missing arm was. It was already proven that his arm was unrecoverable since Pugar destroyed it. All it is now is a stump bleeding from the bandages. His friend helps him up and carries him with his arm—his remaining arm—on his shoulder.
"Are you two okay?"
"It's okay, sir. Right now, he's unconscious from the bleeding."
"Good. But I wished I could've saved your friend more quickly..."
"H-Hey! It's not your fault, sir! It's my fault that I got him like this. Damn, it's even my fault to agreeing to his stupid plan!"
He looks down on the ground, frustrated and blames himself that his friend is in a situation like this. If he hadn't destroyed his shield to manage to kill the elf man, or if he hadn't saved his friend from his death, the result would've ended differently.
Now they have to live with the outcome that they've got.
"Hey now, soldier, it's no one's fault!"
"But..."
"You shouldn't blame yourself because of this. You two are alive, and that's all that matters. Don't forget, we are soldiers. We are used to things like this. You should take his actions by heart."
The beastmen took a small amount of time to think about Gunther's words. Even though he blames himself for turning his friend the way he is now, he takes his words into consideration and gives him an affirming nod.
"Alright. Now carry him to the exit!"
"Yes sir! But what about you?"
"Don't worry, I'll catch up. I'm gonna help out the boys. Now go!"
With his command, the beastman helps out his friend in an attempt to escape from the city. While that's being done, Gunther heads to where both Shouya and Gin were and hopefully gets there in time to help them.
But before he could go there and help them...
"—"
Gunther walks up and looks down to see the defeated Pugar, body twitching and his mouth frothing. That is the result of having his rage getting through to his head. The thought of avenging his friend's death that he didn't even consider to save his own life. His mind was corrupted by vengeance.
Even though he had defeated him, all he sees in him now is pity.
"...What you did was commendable. Helping out to avenge your friend and your friend would've been pleased if he was alive."
"—"
"However, I couldn't forgive the actions that you, your leader, or even the people that were with you, did to this city or my men."
"—"
"So for the sake of Aluema, may you find peace. So please, forgive me. Until then, we would soon meet each other in the afterlife."
Pugar couldn't hear or respond to what Gunther had said. But if he did, he would've said
"thank you"
to him.
Gunther gripped tightly to his warhammer and he high in the sky and bash it onto the lizardman's head and the shell of his skin cracked. He kept bashing, and bashing and bashing, until...he stopped, and he slowly drew back weapon to him.
Bits of his brain is now stuck on the head of his warhammer.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The sound of metal hitting each other and sparks flying left and right between Gin's greatsword and Vikov's fists. Somehow, Vikov actually punches the sword that even Gin couldn't believe his eyes. Every time a sword was coming to strike him, he punched it away with just his fists. No protection, no magical enhancements, no anything. Just his fists, and that's all what it takes for him to become this strong.
They've been fighting like this for minutes ever since.
"Damn, I never met a person that was
this
strong! Strong enough to even punch my sword barehanded!"
"I have trained to withstand any weapon that's come at me. Your feeble sword, no matter the size it takes, is no match for my fists."
They've exchanged blows; hit after hit. Vikov punches and deflects Gin's sword and Gin uses his sword to block and attack Vikov's punches. Vikov is indeed strong, and that's a fact. He can just punch or block or deflect a sword with ease without having a single scratch on his skin.
They're both equally matched that it is impossible to know what is the outcome of this fight.
After a couple of clashes, both of them jumped back from each other. No matter how much Gin tried to cut him, he was left unscathed.
"But I must admit. You are indeed strong, stronger than anyone that I've ever faced. I can see why Darmac was eager to kill you. Your prowess does live up to your name, Leader of the Grey Moon."
"Pah! I'm not a leader anymore. The life of being a soldier was over. I'm just a simple father who is going to save my son!"
"I see..."
Vikov closed his eyes and pondered for a bit, then he opened his eyes and looked at him again with a slight smile.
"How about we make a deal?"
"Huh?"
"We need a man like you to fill in within our ranks. If you join the Blue Sharks and become my right hand man, you will be paid handsomely and I will give you and your loved ones immunity, so you don't have to worry about your family being harmed ever again. And when I die, you'll be the one who will take my place as leader of the Blue Sharks and dictate how you wanted, how you control, just like what you had with the Grey Moon. We could use a great leader like you to command my men."
"Well that scucks! But..."
Gin closes his eyes and thinks about Vikov's offer. If he actually accepts his offer, he would be under Vikov's protection and the raid towards his family would cease. Not to mention that he'll gain control over other members of the Blue Sharks.
"Is that what you're offering?"
"That's right! Once you accept the deal, with all this power, you and I, we can build a better future together! For all of us! So what do you say? Care to accept the deal?"
He continued to close his eyes for a brief moment, then he opened his eyes and responded to the offer that he was given.
"For what you put on the table, that's something that I would like, Mister
Leader
. Good money, protection for my people, and my own personal army? It is like a dream come true. With an offer like that, who can say no?"
"I'm glad that you've come through. Finally, someone who has seen the way—"
"—But I refuse!"
"—!"
"If you think that I'm crazy enough to join you to follow your future,
your
ideals? You're wrong! I don't need any prissy shit like money, royalty, or anything to do with you and your cause! I'll decide my own future! But it won't be just me alone, my wife and my children will be alongside me, and that's all I'll ever need. So I'm gonna beat you, get my son back, and we're gonna live like a happy family."
Proudly preaching his words to Vikov, Gin takes his stance with his greatsword out forward. His words show the valor of pride within himself. He didn't say it just because he
claims
to be prideful. He said it because he
is
prideful.
Unlike the giant tiger man standing in front of him, he has a valid and a goodwill reason for fighting. He doesn't put himself first over others; he doesn't care for riches, royalty, or being the best in the world. He fights to protect his family, and people that are very close to him, and set his sights to the future that he wants. That is the vision that he sees.
Vikov's face disappeared into a frown and made a huge sigh as he was disappointed with Gin's decision.
"So that's your decision? It's a shame, really. You had potential and I was hoping that I could convince you. But guess I was wrong."
Spreading his legs a few inches, Vikov turned his legs sideways at a ninety-degree angle, then he pulled his right arm behind him, aiming at his opponent. Gin wasn't sure what he was doing, but he dashed as he needed to make a move before Vikov could make one.
"Huah!"
"—!"
But all of the sudden, Vikov thrust his arm forward, punched the air in front of him and Gin suddenly stopped in place—no, he didn't just stop, he felt it, in his gut.
"—Hkk!"
Gin vomited out blood as he mysteriously flew backwards. That attack just now felt like he was hit like a wrecking ball. But what was that just now? What was that attack? Even Gin hasn't had the faintest idea. It just flashed before his very eyes.
"Wh-What was—"
Before having the chance to get back on his feet, Vikov repeats the same motion and fires the invisible projectile. However, Gin manages to dodge it this time, hitting the floor instead and creating a crater that is the size of his fists.
Gin was swift as the wind; he was able to dodge Vikov's invisible punches left and right between thrusts within a split second. Even though he's light footed, however, he couldn't keep dodging for long.
While that's happening, Shouya gets off from the floor and thinks of a way to somehow stop Vikov.
What can I do, what can I do? I attacked him with the sword, but it didn't leave a single scratch on him. How can I...
"—Ah!"
Upon realization, Shouya takes out a small bag with several Migi-gems inside—blue and green—still glowing brightly. He had forgotten that he still had them with him and didn't get to use it. Now it is the time to do so.
He takes out one of each of the colored Magi-gems in each hand and holds them out in front of him.
"I hope this works! Hah!"
Using the Magi-gems, he claps them together, hoping that something would come out from them, hoping that he would save Gin.
"...Huh?"
But nothing happened. Not a single magic came out from them. He thought that seeing from what he saw what Alisa did, it would've done the same for him by rubbing the two Magi-gems with each other. But that didn't work.
"C'mon, c'mon!"
He clapped them together, again and again, trying to get something out of it. But it didn't work. His anxiety turns to frustration as the two magic crystals don't help him.
"Forget it! You're no help!"
Giving up on trying to get magic out of them, he then, out of anger, childishly threw the Magi-gems on the floor. But then, something happened. Spikes that are made out of ice emerge from the floor and head towards Vikov and impale his right leg, immobilizing him.
"—!"
Vikov was in shock as that attack actually wounded him. He was too focused on fighting Gin that he had forgotten about Shouya. This forced him to stop attacking and now he was left wide open, giving Gin the chance to attack.
With his greatsword in hand, he lept towards and attacked the immobilized tigerman. With nothing to defend himself, Vikov used his left arm as a shield and Gin's sword pierced through it, then he spun around the arm and he lops it off from his body and Vikov howled in pain as his giant arm landed on the hard surface.
Gin landed on his feet after the giant tigerman's arm.
"How did ya like that? Not so tough now, are you?"
Vikov couldn't comprehend how much he's in pain; The white bone revealing from the wound, blood dripping from his arm, and bits of his fur and flesh falling from the wound where his arm was. He looked at his severed arm, then he looked at his leg, which was pierced by frozen spikes that came from the black-fured wolf boy and ice slowly started creeping up from his leg.
Can these heroic duos actually pull this off? With only one arm that he has left, they're at the advantage. They can actually defeat him and save—
"...Ha..."
However, something was off.
"Huh?"
"Hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha!"
Out of nowhere, Vikov suddenly bursts out laughing. The sound of his loud laughter echoes the empty chambers of the warehouse. Why was he laughing? What was on his mind?
Both Shouya and Gin were bewildered by this. They didn't understand why he was laughing despite the fact that he's at a disadvantage. In a situation, usually like this, the enemy would have either shout and curse at them or bend down and surrender. But to Vikov, however, that isn't the case.
"What's so funny?"
"You two actually hurt me! So this is what my flesh looks like? This is what pain feels like? I've been fighting for so long that I haven't felt or looked at it in years!"
"What do you mean?"
"It means that I don't actually have to hold back."
In that moment, Vikov raised his leg high and he stomped the floor, like he's some sort of a sumo wrestler. That stomp by itself felt like the earth shook a little, even both Gin and Shouya can feel it beneath the soles of their bare feet.
"Hoooooaaaaa!"
Dark green light starts emitting from under Vikov's feet, then it flows up to his body, as if he was engulfed in flames. Then, something unexpected happened.
"Wha...?
"—! It can't be..."
While Shouya tries to figure out what the mad beast was doing, Gin, on the other hand, knows what it is.
Vikov's wounds around his body started to close up; The spike that was on his leg evaporated and the ice around it melted into nothing and the hole of that wound started to close up. But that's not all. The stump on his arm started to regrow itself, turning it into a completely new arm, like he had never lost it in the first place.
He grabbed his former arm that was laying on the floor with his new arm and squeezed it hard enough that it exploded.
"Now
this
is better."
"—Hey, bastard!"
"Hmm?"
"Where the hell did you learn that move?!"
Gin made a hard frown when he saw Vikov use that move. By the tone of his voice, he was very angry as he was familiar with that move. He wants to know where and why he has that move.
Vikov chuckled.
"So you know this move? I've learned it from my master, Dakolo."
"Bullshit!"
"It is true. Dakolo knows all of his moves. Have your master not told you?"
"—"
"I guess he hasn't, does he?"
Grounding his teeth, Gin remained silent as Vikov spills out the truth of where he learned these moves from.
"Art of the Force Breaker: Vustiroga. Art of the Earth Call: Druharven. And also, Art of Ultima Prime: Guyun Tatorra."
"—!"
"You didn't think I didn't know that, did you? I was told that you've used it during your fight with Darmac. It's a powerful ability indeed, but a dangerous one at that; Dangerous enough that it can destroy any armor, magic, weapons, and living things within the very flesh itself! It's a magnificent ability!"
"..."
"To be honest, I envy you. I envy that you were gifted with an ability that can change the battlefield, to change fate itself! Your master taught you very well, unlike my incomitent master. I have learned almost all of Dakolo's Fighting Arts, but that one I was unable to master. That's why I needed you, alive, so that we can build a foundation between each other. But alas, with the limited time we have and you declining to join us, that isn't possible anymore."
With his deep and rough voice, Vikov voiced his honesty and praised Gin for his success—at least to the extent. But even though he was being honest to him, Gin remained silent and still has his greatsword aimed at him, holding his ground.
"But..."
Gripping his jacket that he's wearing, Vikov ripped it from his body and threw it to the side, revealing his large and muscular bare body, so muscular that they could see some of his veins bulging. His entire body was covered with fur that was white as snow with black stripes around him.
Compared to Gin, who has a four-pack, Vikov doubles that. He had spent his years training, honing his fighting capabilities and mastering his abilities. If Shouya had faced him alone, it would be obvious who would be the winner.
"This doesn't mean that I will not go down so easily."
"—!"
Then, without a second, the atmosphere changed. Vikov's body suddenly begins to spark and coated his body with miniature sized blue lightning around him. This is different from his usual self a couple of minutes ago; both Shouya and Gin can feel a powerful pressure that is coming out from him. It could be their animal instincts reacting to that, but it isn't that.
The moment that they felt Vikov was about to unleash his power, the pressure was...heavy.
"I
will
fight until I am satisfied! No matter what or who will come across, I
will
not falter! I
will
lead the Blue Sharks to the right path! I
will
destroy Theacala!!"
Souya and Gin were ready as Vikov was about to make his next attack. But without a moment to blink, Vikov, out of nowhere, was right next to Shouya with lightning speed and punched him square in the jaw, sending him dragging.
"Gin!"
Wh-What just—
"I wouldn't forget about you, boy!"
"Pwah!"
Vikov didn't give him a chance to think; he punched Shouya with his giant fist and forced him to slam into the wall and cough out blood.
He's gotten stronger than before. He had just unleashed a whole new power that they have never witnessed before. His speed and strength was amplified to something that is so high that they weren't able to react to what he's going to do.
This is the power of the leader of the Blue Sharks.
In an attempt to get a damage on him, Gin sends a downward slash above him, but Vikov quickly defends himself. Sword and fist clash; exchanging one strike to another between the wolfman and the large tigerman. Even though Gin held his ground, sending powerful slashes with his greatsword, but Vikov's fists are much faster, sending rapid punches to the wolfman.
Gin tries his best to defend all his attacks, but he could hold on for much longer and his guard was broken so easily. He then was uppercutted, launching him to the air and his body hit the ceiling of the warehouse. But he was not done. Vikov jumped high in the air and punched him directly, breaking through the ceiling and began flying in the air of the night sky.
While in midair, slowing down the velocity of the jump, Vikov throws a few blows to him before he does a spinning ax kick to send him crashing back down to earth. But he's not finished. The wild tigerman starts to fall from a height that is grand and he holds his fist forward as he crashes on top of his body like a meteor crashing down, and as he touches land, a powerful force that is so strong that the shockwave from that crash explodes the warehouse. Anyone that is near the vicinity would get blown away by the powerful wind from that attack.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
After that chaotic impact, the violent wind became calm.
"—Gn! Guah! Hah!"
Emerging from a pile of rubble, Shouya stands up from the ground and surveys around him.
The destruction caused by the attack from Vikov was quite large. The structure of the warehouse of where they were became nothing but scraps of what it was and exposed to the open night of the dark sky, the bright moon glistening down above them.
Pieces of metal from the destroyed warehouse were scattered around the harbor and some of them, no matter the size, punctured on hard surfaces, even some of the debris that was scattered landed on other warehouses.
That was the destruction that the leader of the Blue Sharks caused.
"G...Gin?"
Shouta looked around to see if Gin was around, but with all the rubble around, it would be difficult to find him. However...
"—! Jakki!"
He saw the small dog child under a small amount of debris and ran towards him. He tossed the debris aside and held the child in his hands.
"Gn... Mister?"
As he softly called out to him, the small child slowly regained consciousness and started to open his small dog-like eyes. Shouya lets out a sigh of relief as Jakki is alive.
"Don't worry, your dad and I are here to rescue you."
"Papa?"
The little boy looked around, seeing all the destruction that happened while he was unconscious. However, Jakki's father, Gin, wasn't in plain sight.
Now that I think about it, where is he?
"Gh!"
"Mister?"
Before he tries to figure out where he is, Shouya feels a sharp pain in his chest. The last thing that he remembered was facing off against Vikov, but he was punched so hard that it caused him to black out. That was the only thing that he remembered.
He looked at Jakki, who had a worried expression on his puppy-like frame.
"I-It's fine, don't worry."
As much as he wants to pretend that he was fine, he was not. That pain that he received felt like he was hit by a truck. He wasn't sure how long he was knocked out, but guessing by his surroundings, and the Inquisitor hasn't arrived yet, he can guess that only a few minutes had passed.
"Wh-where's papa?"
"Your father is here."
When they heard a deep, rough voice, they could hope that Gin is alive and has actually beaten the leader of the Blue Sharks.
"—!"
—But instead, they met with terrified expressions on their face. Vikov is still alive, standing in front of them. Shouya couldn't believe it; he wanted to hope that Gin actually beat him, but in the end, he couldn't.
"P...Papa?"
"Huh?"
Shouya couldn't hear what Jakki had said; his voice was so quiet that he didn't understand him but saw his mouth quivering. When he looked back at Vikov...
"—!!"
It became clear to what he had meant.
Vikov raised his arm high and showed them a bloody body that he was holding before dropping it in front of them like a ragdoll.
The body that was covered in blood...was Gin.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
While the three beastal men made their way down the road, they continued to defend themselves as the members of the Blue Sharks came up right at them.
Gin rip and tears every member coming right at him and Gunther blows through the riot with his giant warhammer. His warhammer is capable of even shattering a skull with a single hit. Both of their immense strength was honed through years in combat; there was not a single sign of weakness that they were lacking.
Shouya, who was still learning to use a sword, still defends himself and the other two against the dangerous thugs, only this time, with both Gin and Gunther by his side. He had learned his previous mistake that he almost got himself killed. Now he had to control his temper, didn't recklessly charge head on, and never go alone.
If they continue to stay close to each other, they become unstoppable.
"Man, how many they're gonna pop up?"
"Who knows. But the more they keep coming, the more I'm having fun!"
Man, these two sure know their way of 'fun'.
"Ah!"
As he breaks out from thinking, Shouya sees a man on the rooftop on the right of him, carrying a red Magi-gem in hand. The red Magi-gem emits a large fireball from the thug's hand and fires it at Shouya.
"Got ya boy!"
In a quick moment, Gin's large greatsword blocks the fireball, protecting both him and Shouya from the fireball. The sword was just big enough to protect two people from harm. Gin counterattacks by launching the large tip of the sword by the chains and cuts the thug in half.
The chain has a supreme long range up to forty feet long, almost as half as running to first base of a baseball field. After Gin struck down the thug, the chain automatically reeled itself and returned his sword to its original form.
"Damn. Didn't expect they would bring out casters. But at the same time, I'm not surprised."
"Don't you think it's time for a retreat?"
"No can do. We've already come this far, it's too late to turn back now!"
One by one, more Blue Sharks members arrived on the battlefield, challenging the three men who had killed their comrades. The three of them were outnumbered by a long shot. There were too many forces they could hold off. But Gin, Gunther, and even Shouya held their ground.
"Everyone, charge!"
They heard a person shouted from the top of a building, and as that person called out, a large crowd of people, who were bearing arms, attacked the Blue Shark members. They were the citizens of Vincilos who have been living here defending their home.
"...No way."
Shouya was in disbelief when he saw the people of Vincilos were actually helping them. He didn't think it was possible, but it was all true. Shouya and the others couldn't help but cheer in glee when reinforcements came in to help them.
"Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"
"Boss!"
Ah, it's them!
In the midst of everything that was happening, he saw the two familiar beast-men approaching Shouya and the others. They were the same guys who were in front of the store when he first met him.
"We saw what was going on, so we gathered the people to help us fight."
"Never thought you would take arms once more, boss."
"I could say the same thing to you two. But none of that is important! They got my son and I need to defeat the leader to get him back."
"Say no more boss! We've got you covered. Oh, look what we have here. Good to see you again, kid."
After understanding the situation, their eyes turned to Shouya. They recognized him when they first met him from the store where Clugil and co. was invading Enna's flower shop. Now they see him once again with himself armed with armor and a weapon.
"So you're helping out our boss once again, huh? Well, an ally of our boss is an ally of us. We'll make way for you three to get where you're headed."
"Ah, thank you!"
"Don't thank us, we owe you one. Now follow us! Everyone, make a path for the boss and his team!"
With the help from the two beast-men and the people of Vincilos, they were able to fight off against the Blue Sharks and make a path for them. The people of Vincilos were not forced to fight, they chose to fight. They chose to defend their homes, defend their honor, and defend their loved ones and the people that are close to them.
Shouya looked at the expressions of the citizens that are fighting the Blue Sharks. They didn't regret the choice that they made, in fact, they were happy; happy to defend someone that they care about, as if they were given a bit of hope, a reason to fight for.
They followed the path that the people made and made their way through with both the two beast-men in front. One was wielding two giant shields while the other was using a crossbow to shoot them from targets that are out of range. The beast-man with the crossbow shot targets that were from the rooftops while the beast-man with the shields defends his allies while both Gin and Gunther goes in for the counterattack.
These aren't just ordinary people, they are well-trained veterans who know how to fight.
Even though they were fighting for their lives and with a purpose, Shouya was the only one who was left out and feeling useless that he couldn't do anything. Gin took notice of this and approached him as they ran down the road.
"Feeling tense?"
"Oh, uh, I guess a little..."
"Heh, don't worry. You'll get used to it."
It was a nonchalant response from Gin. He was used to getting fights like this, and it's not something new to him since he was a war veteran. But to Shouya, that wasn't the case.
"Say, Shouya."
"Hm? What is it?"
"You've got something on your mind. If it's something that you wanna say, it's better to say it now before we fight the leader."
"Ah—"
Shouya didn't expect Gin saying something like that out of nowhere. It was a strange thing to say considering the situation they're in. However, he did want to say something to him, and he asked the question.
"Is there...something in the past that you regret?"
"Huh? Something that I regret? Hmm..."
Gin closed his eyes and sat his chin onto his fingers as he browsed into his memories. He's been through his entire life in the Silver Moon fighting, there has to be something that he had regretted in the past before.
"Honestly, there was nothing that I had regretted."
"Huh?"
"Or to be more specific, I don't remember what I did in the past that I regretted. If I did something wrong before, I would go back in time and fix the mistakes that I made. But that's in the past. There's no use trying to change what can't be done."
"I see..."
"But it's such a strange question to ask about that. Why's that?"
Shouya gave a surprising "oh" after Gin asked him a question. Gin was curious about why he asked such a deep topic. Was he curious about Gin's past, or was it something that Shouya had regretted and couldn't forgive himself?
"It's because I—"
"Look out!"
Before Shouya could finish what he said, the beast-man with the crossbow warned them and shot the Blue Sharks's member in the head with a bolt before attempting to cut Shouya down. He was lucky enough that he was saved, otherwise he would be killed right there.
Gin turned to the beast-man who shot the bolt and shouted "Hey, thanks bro!" with a thumbs up before turning back to Shouya.
"What were you going to say?"
"I, uhh...nevermind. I'll tell you after we're done fighting. Let's go save Jakki!"
"Oh, right! I nearly forgot about that! Let's move!"
Their conversation ends as they make a mad dash down the road, passing through the fights around them.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
They had been fighting through the fiery road for a long time. The Blue Sharks members kept on appearing, but the citizens were holding them off, defending Shouya and co. as they made their way to their destination.
The people of Vincilos sacrificed their freedom, sacrificed their chance to escape from the destruction of the Inquisitor. But they didn't run away. Instead, they're fighting for their city, fighting for their homes, fighting for their people.
Despite the odds of surviving, they will gain their city back, or die trying.
After pushing through a mob of criminals, Shouya, Gin, and Gunther have finally reached the docks, the core base of where the Blue Sharks formed.
"Alright, he said they're inside of the ware— haak!"
Out of nowhere, Shouya got lariated by a giant arm and dragged into the wall. The lizardman that he was attacked by has a large metallic appendage that was attached on the shoulder. The pressure of being pushed by a metal arm is like the weight of a piano.
He tries to cut it out with his sword, but it doesn't seem to be effective.
"Don't think yer can get out of this one, boy. My arm is stronger than steel. There ain't nothing ya can do about it."
As the lizardman pushes him harder against the wall, Shouya begins to slowly lose consciousness. His lungs were getting crushed by the metal arm that he could barely breathe. If he has enough strength, he could immediately get out of his clutches. If only he could believe that.
"Huuaa!"
With a bit of hope left, Gunther swung downward with his warhammer at the metal-armed lizardman, but he quickly evaded before it could hit him. Shouya was on his knees, gasping for air, as he was saved by the hammer-wielding beast human.
"Hot damn, that was too close! Who knew that not only that we lured the Beast of the Silver Moon, but the Warlord as well? This must be my lucky day!"
"Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"You're not gonna be alright when what we're gonna do to you!"
The voice came from another member of the Blue Sharks; an elf, who is slightly shorter than Shouya, walks up right next to the lizardman with two large curvy daggers in his hands.
"Shouya, Gin, you two go on ahead and find the child. We'll deal with these two."
"Are you sure? I mean, we can take care of them if we work together—"
"Hey, you don't have to worry about us! We fought guys that were far worse than them, these guys shouldn't be a problem."
They entrust Shouya to find Jakki while Gunther and the two beast-men fight the two thugs. They are confident that they can take them. They were soldiers of war, they have a history of fighting people in a bloodthirsty combat in their entire life, so they could take them on with no sweat—at least, that's what Shouya hopes.
The two beast-men gave their support as they ran into the chaos to help citizens to fight while the three of them searched for the Blue Shark's leader and Jakki.
"Now, go help him to find the kid and this so-called 'leader' and kick his ass."
"Okay! But come back alive, alright?"
He said it as he left the scene to look for Jakki, leaving the battle to the brute beast-human and the other two beast-men. They looked back at them with their weapons in hand.
"Hey! He's gettin' away!"
"Leave him be, Pugar. Someone that weak won't be able to beat the boss."
"Hmm, yer right. Besides, the Warlord should be more entertainin'. I've been wantin' to fight him for a long time. Hope you don't go on disappointin' me, Mr. Warlord."
"Pah! I can say the same to you! Also, I have a name."
Before giving the name to the two men in front of him, he slammed the hard concrete ground with the head of his giant warhammer, making a large crack, a size that is bigger than his foot, right next to him. Then, he began to announce his name.
"My name is Gunther B'ku Tharok! General of the Balkilo Army and defender of Vincilos! I have sworn duty to Aluema to protect my people and give judgement for those who wish to create chaos. In the name of Balkio, I, Gunther B'ku Tharok, the Warlord of Balkio, shall defeat you."
These words are bold and loud. These are the words of a former soldier who fought through his life in the war. Not only him, but others, Shouya, Gin, the two beast-men besides him, and citizens and former soldiers alike, are also fighting to protect Vincilos as well.
He lifts his warhammer back into his hands and he firmly grips the handle.
"Ready men?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
Then, both the three beast-men and the two Blue Sharks members charged into each other, commencing a fight for their lives.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"On three. One, two, three!"
On Gin's command, both he and Shouya pulled the large heavy metal door in front of them at the same time and entered the warehouse. They see nothing but an iron cage in the center of the warehouse and crates stacked on top of each other.
"So, are you two the ones who defeated Darmac? I welcome you."
On the top was a large white-furred tiger-man sitting on the crates. He wears a long black coat that seems to be a parka with silver fur around the collar and on the tail of the coat that is long enough to hover over the ankles.
So that's the leader of the Blue Sharks? I didn't think that it'll be someone this big.
Someone who has an intimidating look on his face is no doubt that he is the one who is leading the Blue Sharks. However, he didn't expect to see someone to be the size of a truck. Compared to the people that Shouya had met, he's the biggest person that he had encountered.
"So you must be the head honcho that's leading the organization and weaving havoc in the city. Vikov, was it? But nevermind that. One of your men took someone that is important to me. Now where's my son?"
"Oh, do you mean him?"
Vikov reached out something that was behind him and showed in front of them the unconscious Jakki, tied down from the neck down with chains around him.
"Jakki!"
"Don't fret. I haven't harned the boy. I do not intend to harm children. At least, not in that state at the moment."
As he said that, he stood up and placed the unconscious Jakki on top of the crate where both Shouya and Gin could still see him. But what does he intend to do with him? Kill him after he defeats them, or make Jakki join the Blue Sharks? These are probable ideas that Shouya could think of, but that isn't the case here.
Shouya steps forward and voices out to Vikov.
"Why are you doing this? Why are you sending your men to attack the city and destroying everyone's freedom?"
"You got it wrong, boy. I'm not destroying everyone's freedom, I'm saving it."
"Wha...?"
When he said that, he didn't get what Vikov was saying.
Saving everyone's freedom
? What does he mean by that? This is something that Shouya has to question.
"What do you mean?"
"For years we've been holding back ourselves because of Theacala. Our rights, our paradise, our freedom! Now it's the time for rebellion. The time that we shall reclaim our rights and our freedom!"
This guy is insane. He doesn't know what he is doing. Also—
"Hate to break it to you, bub, but you ain't gonna reach that goal anytime soon 'cause the Inquisitor himself is coming here and gonna destroy your raid."
Insane as Vikov's plan may be, the only thing that stops him from reaching that goal was the Inquisitor himself. Not only that Vincilos will be destroyed, but the Blue Sharks along with him. So even if he goes along with the plan, the Inquisitor will stop it either way.
"The Inquisitor? Arriving in this city?"
"That's right! But there is a chance of living if you surrender yourself."
"The Inquisitor..."
Vikov quietly uttered the name of his enemy, realizing that he is swiftly arriving in this apocalyptic city. If he knows that the Inquisitor is coming, then surely by this point he should call off the attack of the city and his life would be spared.
"I see..."
However, that isn't the case for Vikov.
"Hehehehe..."
"Huh?"
"Muahahahahaha!!"
Shouya and Gin were confused as the sound of his loud laughter echoed in the halls of the warehouse. Usually—from Shouya standpoint—when a villain hears someone that is stronger than them approaching the scene, they would grovel and beg for forgiveness so that they'll live another day. That usually works in some anime.
However, this is one thing that he needs to remind himself: this isn't an anime nor it is a show with actors in front of them in costumes. These are real people, and the events that are happening now are real.
"What's so funny?"
"This is perfect! Our boss, the Blue Sharks's founder, once dominated the land with an iron fist! He led to true success that is what we have become. But when he went to Theacala, their forces came in and destroyed our peace. This is a perfect opportunity to exact revenge on those Theacalan scum!"
Vikov lept from the stacks of crates and landed inside the cage, where both Shouya and Gin were, with a thunderous crash as he landed, creating a huge shock wave that shook the ground where they stood, even as much as it almost made Shouya trip and fall.
He stands a little over nine-feet-tall, bigger than anyone that Shouya has ever encountered in his life. This is no easy feat as they are dealing with someone who is bigger than them, as if he is the someone who has the strength that can take a hundred men on a battlefield.
"—And the one who will liberate the world will be me!"
Vikov lifts his arm up and punches the ground beneath him. As he did that, the floor started to shake and spikes came out from the ground and charged towards them. But they quickly dodged them before they could hit them.
"That's what you think! Haaa!"
After that attack, Gin charges in head first towards Vikov with his greatsword and uses it to slash him. But Vikov uses his gigantic arm to defend himself and the sword impacts onto his arm.
"—What?!"
H-How is that...
As Shouya witnessed Gin's blow to Vikov's arm, somehow, his arm remained intact. It didn't sever his arm or even leave a single dent on him. His arm was so strong that not even something sharp as a sword can hurt him.
Vikov deflects Gin's sword and punches him on his side, sending him flying through the cage, causing the iron of the cage to break apart, and slammed into the wall of the warehouse and fell to his knees.
His strength was unnatural. This was something that Shouya hasn't seen before. He was able to down Gin, who was the strongest person that Shouya has in his disposal, with just one punch.
W-What is he?
"Was that it? How disappointing."
Unable to fathom what happened, Shouya looks at Vikov, who has a disappointed look on his face. He thought that he was hoping for a real fight. But instead, that didn't happen.
"What about you?"
"Eek!"
He then set his eyes at the frightened Shouya, who was armed with only a sword in hand. Seeing Vikov's strength first hand made his body shiver in fear. He wasn't sure if he's going to be able to survive after witnessing his unbelievable strength.
W-What am I gonna do? He's gonna kill me! I'm not as strong as him, Gin, or anyone! I-I don't think I can beat him, not me! What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?
As Shouya thinks for his life on how he is going to defeat him, thinking of a way to survive, Vikov slowly approaches him, with the intimidating strength that he has within him.
I guess I have no choice...
"Haaah!"
With a little bit of courage that he has left, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and ran towards Vikov. Then, with all his might, strikes him with his sword. But...
"W-Wha...?"
The moment it touched his body, upon impact, the tip of the sword flew in the air and it broke into two. It should've pierced his body as he was wide open. No one should be able to live from a sword attack. Just what is his body made out of?
"Pathetic."
"Guh!"
Distracted, Vikov back punched Shouya, slamming him to the wires of the cage and falling on the floor. Shouya was taken aback for a moment that he lost a sense of focus of who he was fighting, leaving him wide open for Vikov to attack him.
"Guah!"
As Shouya layed on the floor, Vikov stomped on his body with his gigantic foot. His foot is almost as big as Shouya's body, only covering the upper part of his body.
He tries to break free of his hold, but Vikov is far too strong and continues to press Shouya down with his foot hard. Shouya can feel his bones crushing on top of him, as if he was being squished by a heavy boulder.
"How pitiful. Is this the strength that you can muster? Pathetic. But I guess this is what people are nowadays."
He slowly raised his foot above Shouya and saw him weak and gasping for air.
"This world has no need for the week. Die."
He then prepares to stomp him a second time, but only this time, he's about to go in for the kill.
"—!"
But before he could stomp Shouya a second time, a sudden chain with a blade attached wraps around Vikov's ankle and his leg was pulled, only for him to trip and crash on the floor, saving Shouya's life.
"Don't think you can take me down that easily!"
From the other end of the warehouse, Gin manges to save Shouya and he retracts his chain back to his greatsword.
"So, you continue to stand."
"I've taken worse hits. With only one mesially punch, that's nothing."
He says it as Gin snorts and spits out blood from his mouth. Vikov muttered "I see" before standing back up on his feet. This insane aura fills the air in the warehouse as the both of them look at each other eye-to-eye with flames burning with passion.
Knowing this, neither Gin or Vikov do not intend to hold back.
"Now...fight!"
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
After accepting Gin's offer to stay at their place and assisting Enna to fix the place, he helps them to clean the family's store. Enna's job is to make and sell pottery, while at the same time, Enna and both of her beast children work on planting, growing, and selling flowers. Basically, it's a flower store. Shouya helps out by making new pottery for her.
He had worked in arts and crafts before back in middle school, so this isn't really new to him. However, making pottery is something that Shouya hadn't made in a long time, so he felt very rusty when making them. He had made an attempt to make one, but he ended up making a mess and getting clay on himself. He made a couple more attempts and got used to it as he started to remember how to make them.
While Enna and her kids work at their store, Gin works in a blacksmithing business. He works on repairing and creating weapons and armor for the military, civilians for self-defense, or for adventurers who take on quests. He doesn't just make weapons and armor, he can also make other things like silverware, accessories, keys, or any other things. You ask, he'll make it.
Hours have passed and the sun has already started to set. Enna and their children close up shop as business time has come to an end for the day. Shouya felt a sigh of relief as he had finished working.
"Whew, I'm beat."
"Thank you for your assistance Mr. Kirikage."
"Oh please, you can just call me Shouya if you like."
"Alright, thank you Shouya."
Enna gives a slight nod to Shouya and he blushes as Enna calls him only his first name. Then someone opened the shop door and it was Gin, who came back from his blacksmithing job.
"Oh, hon! You're here!"
"Heya! Has the boy given you a hard time?"
"He's amazing. He made such brilliant pots and we had so many customers. Oh! I'm preparing dinner tonight. I'll call both of you up when it's ready."
Enna heads upstairs to prepare for the family and Shouya, leaving both Shouya and Gin downstairs.
"Hey, thanks again for helping us clean and helping my wife with her business. It's nice to have someone to help her and the kids in the shop while I am gone. Hopefully, those rascals didn't push you too hard, did they?"
"Oh, it was no problem. It's been a while since I've done this before. Glad that I've put my artistic skills to good use."
"That's great to hear. Hey, how about I hire you to work with my wife?"
"Hehe, maybe I should. I mean, working here isn't so bad."
"Alright, you're hired!"
Wait, huh?
Shouya's face became perplexed when he heard Gin hired him to work at the shop. He wasn't sure if he meant it as a joke or he was being serious. He asks him just to make sure.
"Wait, you're serious, aren't you? I mean, if it's a joke, then that's a funny one."
"Do you really think I was joking?"
Gin turns to Shouya and shows his sharp white fangs, giving him a smile. He wasn't joking, he was actually being serious about hiring Shouya to work with them. Shouya didn't think that he would get a job in this world.
"Wha- you're actually serious?!"
"That's right!"
"I-Isn't this happening way too fast? Getting a job instantly is too early. I didn't get a chance to do an interview. Ah! What about Enna? She's the one who owns this store, doesn't she get to choose who she hires?"
"Oh, don't worry, she knows. In fact, it was actually her idea to begin with. Besides, I don't know the reasoning behind it myself either."
"Huh?"
I mean, working with pottery is not a bad idea. But if that's true, then why didn't she ask me that in the first place?
The idea of hiring Shouya to work with Enna isn't a bad idea, but the only question is why? Why didn't she tell him this herself and ask him if he wants to work with her and help her with the store? That way, Shouya would get a clear cut understanding of her proposal.
I've always wanted to try out something new, something I can help others with and make them feel happy. You know what? I'm going to do it! Yeah! I'm in a new world and I want to start a new life with a new body! I don't care if this is a dream or not, if I'm stuck here, then fine. The old me is gone, the new me starts now!
Shouya's expression turned from worry and confusion, to courageous and confident. If what he thought about is true, then he should have no problems living in this world without having any doubts pulling him down.
"I don't really have a choice, do I? Alright, I'll do it!"
Gin gives him a big hard pat on the back as he welcomes Shouya to their business. The pat hit Shouya so hard that he felt as if someone threw a tennis ball at him. This didn't stop Shouya from smiling or at least shed a tear—at least a little.
"Hehe. Then welcome to the business! This calls for a celebration! Oh wait, we're having dinner tonight and you're already invited. It's a double whammy! Hm?"
But as before Jin can continue to cheer, someone knocks on the store's front door. Who could it be at this hour? The store was already closed, there is even a sign that says
"The store is currently closed. Please come back tomorrow"
in front of it.
Both Gin and Shouya couldn't wrap their heads around it. But this doesn't stop Jin as he is the first one to respond to it.
"Don't worry, I'll get it."
Gin approaches the door and turns the lock to unlock the door. He then begins to open the door.
"We are closed for today, can you come by another time?"
"Oh, no, I'm not looking to buy anything. I am looking for someone. Have you seen a guy who has black and white fur, the same height as me, and his name is Shouya?"
"—Ah! Wait a minute!"
Shouya couldn't help but overhear someone saying his name. The way they talk to Gin sounds like they're worried about him. He looks at someone who is talking to Gin. He sees a familiar red furred fox in a maid outfit in front of him.
"Alisa?"
"Ah! Sho!"
The worried fox girl Alisa charges at Shouya and she gives him a big hug. Meanwhile, Gin just stands there as he quiescently looks at them.
"You know her?"
"Uh, yeah. Alisa, what are you do—h-hey!"
Before Shouya could say anything, Alisa's frantic bodily inspection for wounds took him by surprise.
"What are you doing?"
"Quiet now."
Her face remained as serious and determined as ever until the very last moment. The look of relief spread across her face.
"Thank goodness you're fine. I was so worried!"
"Hey, relax. I'm fine. I barely have a scratch on me."
"I know, but still..."
Even though Shouya looked unharmed, Alisa still worries about him. She is like a mother who worries about their children's safety. Despite the fact that they barely know each other for just one day, Alisa treats him like a child.
Shouya holds on to Alisa's hands to make her stop touching and deforming his face.
"Ok, I get it. But more than that, how did you find me?"
"I heard that you got into a fight with the Blue Sharks. Is that true?"
As she asks him that question, Shouya looks away from her, trying to not look at her bright emerald-colored eyes. But Alisa could already tell based on his facial expression. That would mean that she now knows what Shouya had done.
"What were you thinking of taking on the Blue Sharks by yourself?! Don't you know what they are? They are criminals, scumbags, they are doing this just for money! But thankfully you're alive, that's all that matters."
Alisa's worried expression changed to a face of relief. She was well aware that Shouya fought the Blue Sharks alone and how much humiliation he got when he was defeated. Luckily, Gin was there on the scene and defeated them, so she didn't have to worry about it anymore.
"Anyways, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I—"
"We've just hired him to work with us."
Before Shouya could say anything, Gin interrupted and explained to her. Alisa's eyes went wide as she didn't expect this outcome.
"Woah, really?! Just what kind of damage did Mr. Kirikage do?"
"Wha-? I did no such thing! I chose it on my own volition!"
"Oh? Is this true mister?"
"That's right! He helped out my wife with the store and I asked him if he wanted me to hire him, he agreed and so, I hired him."
Did he just miss the part where it was his wife's idea?
Shouya became puzzled when he didn't mention the idea was from his wife Enna. He could point it out to Gin about that, but he didn't want to be put in an awkward situation, so he did the best he could by not mentioning it to Gin in front of Alisa.
She turns to Shouya and she smiles at him.
"Oh well. I'm glad that you got yourself a job. Hopefully, that would replace the money that was stolen."
"That's ri- ahh! I forgot!"
"What's the matter Sho?!"
"That guy! He was here!"
"Ehh?!"
The moment that Shouya had realized that he had forgotten what was his original objective. He was supposed to get his stolen money back from Clugil. He was sidetracked by so much stuff going on that he forgot to get it back from him. Now it is too late to find him and get his money back.
While Shouya is in a pandemic, Gin looks at him in confusion, not knowing what is going on.
"I'm...confused. Care to tell me what's going on?"
"Well you see, do you remember the guy who's in charge of invading the store and commands his guys to fight you?"
"You mean that bastard Clugil? Yeah, I know what you mean. What about him?"
"He's also the guy that stole my money from me and ran off with it. Now I don't know where he went off to."
"Oh! You mean this?"
Gin puts his hand and reaches down to his own pocket. Then he takes it out and shows Shouya a familiar small bag in front of him.
"—My wallet!"
"I figured who it belonged to. It was laying on the floor after the fight and I'd thought that I would use his money as payback for ruining the shop. Don't worry, all the stuff is still in there."
Shouya opens his wallet to make sure that Gin was right. Thankfully he wasn't wrong. He sees all the content that was in his wallet was still intact, nothing was missing inside.
"Thank you so much."
"Hey, don't sweat it. You can say that we're even now."
"I guess you can say that. Oh, is it okay if she is also invited to the dinner?"
"If she wants to, then sure!"
Shouya then turns to Alisa and asks her.
"Well Alisa, do you want to eat with us?"
"Oh, that's a kind offer, but I'm going to have to decline. I have to work on the night shift at the inn with Gunther, so I can't stay long. Sorry."
Ah, right, I forgot!
As she is saying this to Shouya, Alisa vigorously apologizes to him as she couldn't accept the invitation as she has to work in the inn. Shouya had forgotten that she works in an inn with Gunther, so of course, Alisa turned down the offer.
"Ah, so you're Gunny's kid."
"'Gunny?"
This is the first time Shouya has ever heard that name before. This is probably a nickname short for Gunther, it does make sense, but Shouya can't tell just yet. He begins to wonder how Gin knows him.
"Speaking of which, I'd better head back. You wouldn't believe how much work I have to do when the place gets up at night. A lot of cooking and a lot of old men drinking."
"From what I'm guessing, among them is Gunther?"
"Yup! Anyways, see ya!"
Alisa quickly heads out the store to help out at the inn. But before she leaves the store, Gin interrupts her by giving her a heads up.
"Hey, little miss, if you see that old man of yours, send him my regards."
"Will do!"
And with that, Alisa left the store. The only people that are left now are Shouya and Gin, and also Enna who is upstairs making food for the family and for their guest Shouya.
"That girl got spunk."
"Yeah, I guess you can say that."
"Do you two have a
thing
for each other?"
"W-What?!"
When Shouya heard that, his face became beet-red. He didn't think that both he and Alisa would be in that kind of relationship. Shouya and Alisa were just friends, but in Gin's point of view, he sees it more than that. Of course, when Jin first saw her and based on her reaction to Shouya, he had thought that the both of them were a couple.
Shouya, now flustered and his face turning redder, tries to explain to Gin about that misunderstanding.
"Me? Her? Nononono, we're not like that, honest! We just met each other just today! There's no correlation between- ack!"
But before he can say anything else, Gin raises his beefy hand to pat him on the head.
"Don't worry, this secret is between you and me. So you don't have to worry about it."
Shouya begins to slowly calm down and takes a deep breath. But yet, he is still embarrassed by the way Gin said. He can't argue or correct him any further.
"Anyways, let's head upstairs. I'm starving!"
Gin heads to the staircase as he is getting ready to eat meanwhile Shouya follows behind him.
But it wasn't like that though, really...
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"Alright everyone, dinner is ready!"
Enna announces to everyone that it was time for dinner. The food had already been set up on the table by the time Shouya and Gin had arrived upstairs.
Shouya couldn't help but widen his eyes in amazement as he saw how much wonderful food that was on the table.
"Wow! The food looks delicious!"
"That's Enna for ya! She can cook really good food. No one can replicate her amazing cooking talent."
"Oh, shush! Not in front of our guest. Don't listen to this doofus, I'm not really that good."
"No, you are. From looking at what I'm seeing, I've never seen anyone who can cook better than you."
"C'mon you guys, it's really embarrassing!"
Hearing both of Shouya and Gin's comments makes Enna's face blush. She tries to cover her face with her hands, but no matter how much she tries, her cheeks are still beet red.
The table is filled with a delicious large plate of juicy meat in the center along with various vegetables, rice, and noodles surrounding it. The only thing that is out of place is the strange substance that is on small bowls. Shouya points it out and asks her what that is.
"What's that?"
"Oh? You've never tried Quagi sauce?"
"'Quagi sauce'? Can't say. I've never had it before."
"Then you're in it for a treat! Come, let's eat!"
The three of them, including the dog children, gathered around the table and began their feast. Shouya picks one of each of every food that is on the table and places them onto his plate, including a bowl of noodles on his side.
He cuts a piece of meat, dips it in a strange colored sauce—otherwise known as Quagi in this world—and places it in his mouth. Shouya's taste buds start to tingle as he tastes something that is out of this world.
"Woah! This tastes great!"
"Hehe, thanks."
After that delicious piece of meat that Shouya ate, he spreads a bit of Quagi sauce on top of another piece of meat and begins to wolf down on it. After which, his eyes turn to the bowl of noodles and starts to devour the glistering noodles.
The food is so delicious! I...can't...stop it!
Gin notices this and shows a wide grin on his face while holding a drumstick in his hand.
"Is this an eating competition? Alright, challenge accepted!"
Both Shouya and Gin gobble down the food like savages. Meanwhile, Enna warns them about how much they're eating.
"Careful you two, you might choke yourselves with all that food."
After a warning from Enna, the two of them gulped down their glasses of water.
"Haa... Man, you really can eat fast!"
"Really? Oh, sorry! I probably should've used table manners when I'm eating!"
"You don't have to apologize. It's normal for all of us to eat like that. We're not some rich snobs that's all about 'table manners' or anything else that involves being the higher echelon. We're not that kind of people, so eat till your heart's content."
It was something that Shouya hadn't heard before, but at the same time, it was really a heartfelt speech to hear. Eating without needing to worry about table manners? That was something that is unheard of.
"Really? So it doesn't bother you?"
"Nonsense! We're not strict. You're free to eat however you like, like a family."
"—!"
Before Shouya takes another bite of the food, his body freezes when he reacts to what Jin had said.
Like...a family?
Instead of eating any more of Enna's food, he gently places it back on the plate, not needing to eat any further. His face turns pale and he looks at the plate with a melancholic look on his face. Sena looks at him with a concerned look on her face.
"What's wrong mister? Does your tummy ache?"
"Huh? Oh, uhh, yeah! Oooh, you probably used too much of your mother's sauce."
"Hehe, forgot to mention that my wife's cooking does have a 'kick' when it enters your stomach."
"It does
not!
Don't be such a liar!"
"Hahaha! Relax Enny, it's just a joke."
"Hmph!"
Enna angrily puffs her cheeks at Gin's bad but silly joke as she thought what he meant was true. Shouya looks at the wolf siblings and asks one of them.
"Is there a bathroom I can use?"
"The first door down the hall to the left."
While holding the bone at hand, Jakki points Shouya to the door that is right next to him.
"Oh, thanks."
He then leaves the table and heads to the door where the bathroom is and opens it. The place is not anything new, it's like what you see when you go to somebody's house; a bathtub, the sink, the toilet, and the mirror. It doesn't make you go and say "wow, this room is so fancy", it's just a regular bathroom from a regular home.
Shouya closes and locks the door behind him. He leans back on the door and thinks back on what Gin had said before.
"'Like a family' huh? I mean, c'mon. We just only met today, and yet, you treat me like family? What is with these people in this world? Alisa is being nice to me, Gunther is being helpful, and Jin and his family are taking care of me like I'm a member of the family. Are they really...he...hehehe..."
As he talks to himself, Shouya quietly laughs as he tries to figure out what is happening to his life. As he continues to laugh, tears begin to run down from his eyes.
"H-Huh?"
Shouya tries to wipe off the tears from his eyes, but it barely does anything as it still continues to come down. He walks to the sink and turns on the faucet, letting the water run. He cups some water using his hands and splashes his face with it, wiping off his tears.
"Hah! Whew! ...Why was I crying? I don't feel sad, I'm happy. Yeah, I'm really happy! Happy that I'm living life! I've met nice people, I've eaten good food. Even if this is a dream, I shouldn't feel bad, I should be happy."
"That is because that's the only way you think of that."
"—!!"
As Shouya talks to himself, he hears a voice. The voice that he heard didn't sound like it was from outside of the room. This voice doesn't sound like anyone he knows; Gin, Enna, Alisa, Gunther, Clugil, or anyone. It sounds like the voice that is familiar to him—no, perhaps too familiar.
"They're only nice to you because they pity you, they feel bad for you. What they only give you is nothing but sympathy. They don't care about you, they don't want you, they only want to use you so they can make you work for granted until you've outlived your usefulness. You're nothing but their pet slave who is licking their master's shoes!"
The mysterious voice threw such vulgar words onto Shouya's mind, trying to dig in deep, make him feel bad, and change his mind about the decision he chose. Shouya tries to deny it as it is his own decision that he had made.
"You're wrong, I chose this. It was my decision—"
"'Your decision? Hahahahaha! Yeah, right! Did you forget? Did you choose to be sent into this world? Did you choose the clothes you get to wear? Did you choose to be hired and work for those people? Of course not, you don't get to make those decisions. Life is choosing it for you. All because you can't choose for yourself."
"..."
Shouya went silent as the voice inside of him reminded him of his indecisive outcomes. It was generally correct; all of these life choices that Shouya has until now were chosen for him by everything that is around him. He wasn't given a question to choose from these choices, they were handed to him with no questions asked.
"That may be true, but...I don't care."
"Oh?"
"Even though I didn't get a choice, I still believe that I can still live with myself. I don't care if I don't get a choice of what I want, this is my life, and I have no intentions to go back. I want to live with it, no matter what life throws at me!"
Despite what the voice said to him, Shouya doesn't plan to give up his new life in the new world. Even if things don't go in his favor, he still wants to enjoy the new life that is given to him and venture the world with a smile on his face.
However...
"So that's what you choose. Would you rather live in a world where you have freedom and deny yourself over going back and accepting reality? I am disappointed in you. Your family will be disappointed in you. In fact, they would be disappointed in you if they were alive."
"—!!"
Shouya's reaction to what the voice said to him changed his emotions from confident to a frustrated look. Something has switched Shouya's attitude
"
Did I strike a nerve, or did you forget about your family on purpose so that you deny their existence?"
"—"
"Oh well, it's not like they even care about your existence either. I mean, it's not like they ever loved you since they abandoned you."
"—"
"Oh, wait, I think it's too late for that. Now they're not gonna see or love their happy little boy anymore because they're DEAD!!
The more the voice talks to him, the madder and madder Shouya gets. He tries to restrain himself, holding back his anger inside of him, he even grips his own head and covers his own ears as he doesn't want to hear the voice anymore.
"—Shut up."
"Aww, what are you gonna do, cry? Throw a temper tantrum? Or maybe even kill yourself?"
"Shut up..."
"Hahahaha! Look at you, that is what you are! You're weak, pathetic, a coward! You couldn't even hold your ground for ten seconds and got your ass beat by that thief! You're a failure! Not a single living being will ever come to save you, they just use you as a stepping stone for them to achieve greater heights for them. You're like a shadow, just like me."
"Shut up... Shut up... I'm not like you, I'm nothing like you!"
No matter how many times Shouya has to ignore the voice's words, they continue to antagonize him. But he couldn't ignore it anymore.
"Fufufufu, it's useless to deny it. You're nothing but a weak, powerless, idiot, boy. You can't run away from me forever. You want to know why? Open your eyes."
Shouya didn't want to listen to the voice that was in his head, but he had no choice but to do what they said. He looks up slowly to see his own reflection in the mirror. There has been no change in appearance; a black furred dog-like demi-human wearing the clothes that he had bought in this world. He has been like this ever since he had been transported into another world.
However, there is one small difference. Unlike Shouya, where he is struggling to keep himself together, his mirror self is looking at him, smiling.
"In a world where nobody needs you, you're hopeless."
"I said shut up!"
Shouya finally snaps and shouts to his other self, and fueled with rage, he clenches his right hand into a fist and punches it, leaving a ball-sized crack on the mirror. When he punches the mirror, the voice suddenly stops talking to him. The voice is finally gone from his head. The false image of himself is not going to bother Shouya anymore.
"Haa.....haa.....haa....."
Shouya's effort to get rid of his other self was a success, however, he is in pain both emotionally and physically. He looks at his own knuckles, he sees small cuts on his hand when he smashed the mirror, but it doesn't bleed that much.
".....Ah! Crap! The mirror!"
Shouya realizes what he has done. He had broken the mirror that is a property of Gin and his family. This situation has turned for the worst as he feels awful for breaking their mirror. Shouya tries to think of a way to get out of this. He stares at the cracked mirror, hoping that he has an excuse for breaking the mirror. That's where it hit him.
"Oh! I got it, but that would mean... No! I have to do it! I don't even care about myself anymore! I don't care what anyone says! It's
my
choice!"
Shouya pushes his hands on the wall around the cracked mirror and places his forehead on the spot where he punched it. He can feel the shards of hard glass touching him, like feeling small ant-sized knives are poking him.
"Just hope that it works..."
He takes a deep breath and pulls his head back away from the glass while holding on to the wall. He pulls back as far as he can until only the fingertips are still touching the wall. Then, in a split-second, he headbutts himself to the mirror.
"Arrg!"
The pain of hitting glass shards by using your head may have caused damage to a human's body—or in this case, a demi-human's body—some facial damage. Shouya flails on the floor in agony as the pain of smashing his own head onto something sharp. It has exposed a large cut on his forehead and a drop of blood crawls down from his head.
As for the glass itself, the crack from the glass had increased its size when Shouya headbutted. He had headbutted in the same place where he had punched it before. It covers any indication of when he had punched it, making the excuse more believable. It was a sacrifice that he had made as he had no choice.
The blood still drips from Shouya's forehead and as he calms down, someone knocks on the door from the other side.
"Umm, Shouya, are you okay in there?"
"Oh, I'm okay. Well, actually..."
Shouya uses his one hand to get up from the floor while he holds the wound with his other hand. He still felt the pain that he had caused himself, but it was the only way to fake his reasoning for shattering the mirror. He unlocks and opens the door, seeing Enna in front of him. She looks shocked when she sees him in this condition.
"Oh my, what happened to you?"
"Oh, I slipped myself. But it's nothing, really."
"It looks more than a 'nothing'. Let me see your head."
"Please, you don't want to—"
"Let me
see
Mr.Kirikage."
"A-Alright..."
No matter how hard he tries to neglect Enna to not show her the wound, her demeanor shows that she is being serious and worries about Shouya. He ended up showing his wound to her.
"How did this happen?"
"I...slipped and bumped my head into the mirror. Also, sorry about your mirror."
She turns her eyes to look at the broken mirror that is in the bathroom. The mirror has a huge crack that she had never seen before. Usually, owners would complain to the person who broke their property and get them kicked out of the house, but Enna, she's different. She takes a deep breath and sighs.
"Well, accidents happen."
"W-Wha?"
What did she mean by "accidents happen"?
Shouya doesn't quite understand what that means. He looked at her, but instead of an angry and unsettling face, she smiled.
"It doesn't look too bad. Here, hold still."
Enna raises her hand and places two of her fingers—both the index and the middle finger—to where the wound is in front of it by a centimeter apart. Then, a small bright yellow light starts to glow from the fingertips.
Is this...healing magic?
He couldn't believe it, but he recognized it from playing fantasy RPGs or watching anime that have magic in them. This is, of course, a healing spell. The light begins to close the wound on Shouya's forehead and the wound magically disappears, acting as if nothing happened.
"There you go!"
"W-Wow..."
"Now about that mirror."
"Huh?"
Enna heads inside the bathroom and approaches the broken mirror. Shouya couldn't understand what she had meant. He just looks at her and sees what she is going to do.
She stretches out her arm at the broken mirror with all five of her fingers open and a bright light begins to glow in front of it. Instead of a bright yellow light that heals Shouya, a bright jade-green light appears in front of her. As the light begins to glow, the mirror starts to act up. The glasses start taking shape and the shards of glass begin to come together piece by piece. Then finally, the mirror was suddenly fixed. Fragments of glass shards forged together to form a new mirror, it acted as if time had rewind itself.
After Enna repaired the mirror, she took a deep breath and then exhaled.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Who knows, using so much magic is making me tired."
"You know you don't have to do that. I mean, I can pay for a new mirror for you."
"Don't be silly, save your money. I wouldn't want to see you spending your job's pay for something so small."
"Ah, so I guess you've heard it from Gin?"
"That's right! I very much appreciated and thankful that you joined us. C'mon, everyone is waiting at the table, unless you want the leftovers."
"Ah, r-right!"
Enna heads out from the bathroom and joins Gin and the siblings. Shouya follows suit and heads towards the table and continues eating the food.
The sky just became dark and the waxing moon glistened the night sky. The climate changed from a blazing hot to a calm cool temperature and the city lights started to glow throughout Vincilos.
"You will have to come with me. Pugar, escort his team elsewhere."
"Ya don't get t' tell me what to do, Lince! C'mon boys, we got enough time t' kill."
While Pugar escorts Touya and Raiji to someplace else, the elf man—known as Lince—opens the door of some sort of a warehouse in front of them and Clugil enters with him.
What both Lince and Pugar had escorted Clugil and his teammates to is the docks, where items such as food, materials, and clothes are stored in this location. Not only that, but there are also boats that are stored here as well for shipping purposes. Right now, no one is riding one in the middle of the night.
As they entered the warehouse, he saw members of the Blue Sharks gathered in the warehouse, cheering and yelling.
It turns out that there are two muscular beast men fighting in the center of the warehouse; shirtless, shoeless, and they have to fight using their fists. One is a dog-man with gold fur and a scar on the bridges of his nose and the other is a cat-man with brown spots and a tail missing from his tailbone, only leaving a small stump of what it remains. Around the two fighters are iron cages surrounding them so that they can't escape from the fight.
While the two fighters are fighting, Clugil, being led by Lince, heads towards large iron crates. The crates were used to carry items that are very unique items or items that cannot be touched by water, unlike wooden crates. Now they're stacked to look like the shape of a pyramid.
Both Clugil and Lince climb from crate-to-crate to get to the top of the pyramid of crates. Then they see someone, a giant man, is sitting on the top with his fist pressing against his cheek.
"Sir Vikov, I have summoned him here."
"..."
Vikov, leader of the Blue Sharks, ignores Lince as he continues to watch the fight that is going on. He is a large white-furred tiger with black stripes. He wears a long sleeveless black coat with silver fur around it. As Lince would've liked to get Vikov his attention, he is too busy watching the fight going on, so he waits until the fight is finished.
The two beast men are heavily wounded, badly bruised, blood dripping out from their noses and mouths, cuts all over their body, and even the stage is stained with blood, vomit, and urine from the grotesque fight that has been going on here, in this very place. How many people fought here? How many people won and lost here? This isa nonstop bloodshed, yet people are seeing this as entertainment. Clugil, being a member of the Blue Sharks, felt disgusted by what was going on here.
As the fight continues, the dog man gives a hard uppercut to the cat man to break his guard and then he does a spinning kick at him in the solar plexus and crashes him into the wall of the iron cage. The dog man leaps in front of him as he is going for a flying punch, but before he can, the cat man quickly dodges the punch, hitting the cage instead. The cat man hugs him from behind and then does a suplex.
Both of them slowly get off from the stained floor and breathe heavily as they're exhausted from fighting this long. The dog man and the cat man charge in at the same time as they trade one last hit to each other. The dog man punches the cat man in the face, at the same time, the cat man punches the dog man in the gut. The cat man stumbles backwards to align himself, however, the dog man is on his knees and starts to regurgitate from his mouth.
While he is on the floor, the cat man picks him up and wraps around the dog man's neck with his arm, putting him in a chokehold. The dog man tries to break free, scratching the skin with his sharp claws, but the cat man wouldn't let him as he holds him tightly around the neck. The dog man taps on the cat man's arm, as he is giving up and begins to tap-out from the fight, but the cat man doesn't seem to let go.
Clugil notices this from a distance and tells Vikov to stop the fight.
"Hey, he's tapping out! You can tell him to let go!"
"..."
"H-Hey, aren't you listening to me?! The fight's over, you can tell him to let him go!"
"..."
Clugil tries to tell Vikov to end the fight immediately, but from the looks of it, he has no intentions of stopping it.
"Sir Vikov isn't going to listen to a peon like you. So know your place and silence until after the fight is finished."
"I wasn't talking to you, and you can't tell me what to do! What if that guy kills him?"
"It is for Sir Vikov to make that call. Keep in mind that I'm second-in-command, I'm ranked higher than any of you in this organization. So if you want to value your life, then it's best that you hold your tongue, or else."
"..."
Clugil clicks his tongue as he has no choice but to watch until the fight ends. Lince is Vikov's right hand man and Vikov's most trustworthy henchman in the Blue Sharks. He's the one that commands the entire members of the Blue Sharks whatever Vikov orders. When Vikov tells Lince to do what he says, he follows and orders other members to do what he was given.
The cat man continues to squeeze the dog man with his arm tighter and tighter. He tries desperately to break free from the chokehold by scratching and biting the cat man's arm, but he couldn't, and then, he is immediately knocked out. His arms dangle in the air, as if there's no sign of life. The crowd began to cheer for the result of the outcome.
The cat man releases the dog man only for him to collapse onto the floor. His body twitches and his mouth starts to foam, and to add an insult to injury, the cat man steps on him and poses on top of him and cries out his victory. Even though the cat man ended in victory, Clugil felt disgusted by the outcome.
After the fight between the two beastmen in the cage, Lince turns his eyes on Vikov and finally speaks to him.
"How was your enjoyment, sir?"
"Disappointing. This fight has no entertainment value that it bores me."
"I see. Anyhow, I have this
peon
here as you requested."
"Ah, right. Thank you, Lince."
Lince places his hand on his chest and bows to his leader after Vikov had thanked him. Vikov looks at Clugil with his sharp red cat-like eyes.
"Clugil. Do you know why I summoned you here?"
"Is it about the rumors about us?"
"Exactly."
"Look, if you give me enough time to explain—"
Before Clugil can say more, he pauses as he sees Vikov raising his hand in front of him.
"You had fought against someone and lost. This leaves a scar in the organization. All I can say is that I'm disappointed in you and your crew."
The white tiger's voice is not a sound of frustrated or loud anger, but a calm yet monotone voice. Given the status that Vikov has, it's clear that he is responsible for sending his own men to do stuff that he ordered them to do. Whether his men succeed or fail, he gives judgment for those who can satisfy him.
"But please, boss! It's not my fault that my team and I lost to that bastard! He came to us and wrecked our shit! Please, you gotta give us another chance!"
"Are you a fool? After your past failures that you've done to you and your team, do you really think that Vikov will give you another—"
"Halt, Lince."
"But sir!"
Vikov raises his hand to silence Lince from talking any further. Lince wants to object to the idea of giving Clugil another chance, but he restrains himself and mutters "Yes sir" as he backs off from the conversation.
"I will give you one more chance, but it will be your
last
chance."
"T-Thank you, boss! I can assure you that I will never—"
"However..."
Clugil was interrupted by his boss as he got up and approached Clugil. Vikov is, if not, the largest member of the Blue Sharks, ranging over nine feet tall. Compared to both Clugil and Vikov side-by-side, Vikov is like the size of a giant.
"B-Boss, what are you— Ack!"
Vikov uses his gigantic hand to lift Clugil by the head and then tosses him into the arena where the two fighters had fought. Clugil rolls over and slams back first into the cage.
"This will be a test for you. A fight to the death. In order to gain your chance, you need to survive. If you win, you'll get another chance. But if you don't, you'll die."
"Is this some kind of a joke?! If it is, then, you got me! Hahaha!"
As Clugil laughs sarcastically, pretending as if it is meant to be a joke, Vikov—and everyone in the warehouse—isn't laughing. Instead, he sees him and everyone around him giving Cligil a cold, blank stare.
"You can't be serious, right? I'll be killed if I fight you!"
"Oh no, I won't be fighting you. Instead, you will be fighting against Darmac."
"D-D-Darmac?!"
Everyone in the warehouse cheered when Vikov called out the name. Clugil, however, doesn't sound too pleased with it. But then, everyone went silent when a loud howl could be heard from inside the warehouse. Someone jumps from behind the crowd, hops on the railings of the cage with his feet, and lands into the arena on all-fours.
"Those who call my name enter the world of Payne. A
wooo!"
"AWOOO!!"
The crowd cheers and howls loudly as the muscular wolf-man jabs his finger in the air.
"That's right. I, Darmac Payne, have entered the stage!"
His body was covered in cyan-blue fur all over his body. He clad in silver leather pants with blue highlights and gold fur on his waist to combine with his loud personality. Clugil couldn't help but find it not only obnoxious, but also afraid of him as he wasn't prepared to face anyone.
After Darmac made his grand entrance, he looks at Clugil and jabs his finger in front of him.
"Hey, you! You're that Clugil guy, right? Well, I got news for you buddy: nobody has beaten me in a fight once
.
So if you think you have a chance of beating me,
don't
. Because you are already dead before we get to reach the second round. So it's best that you make a will and savor this moment, because it'll be your last!"
He says it as he fists two of his silver gauntlets into each other and takes up his battle-ready position. The gauntlets that he wears are iron-plated that protect his arms all the way up to the elbow. They look similar to what the soldiers wore along with their armor, however, they are modified to have blue tips on the blades of the arms and holes that let his fingers go through.
"This is ridiculous! C'mon boss, isn't there another way to—"
"Grit your teeth, 'cause here I come!"
Before Clugil can even finish, Darmac quickly charges in headfirst by leaping towards him and makes a heavy but fast punch. But Clugil quickly dodges the punch, making Darmac hitting the cage instead. The attack is so strong that he makes a fist-size hole in the steel cage. Instead of retracting his own arm carefully, he uses it to tear the cage apart, leaving a huge hole in the center of it.
"Hey! Don't ever think about running, we're just getting started."
"You have got to be kidding me!"
Darmac continues to attack Clugil as he sends multiple fast strikes to him; punch, kick, jab, sweep, he even uses his tail to attack him. But every time he attempts to hit him, Clugil dodges, and sometimes blocks, each and every strike. He hasn't gotten a chance to attack him.
"Is this the only thing he can do?"
"Man, the rumors are true. He sucks!"
"We wanna see a fight, not a rat dance!"
"Tear him apart! Give us bloodshed!"
While the two of them are fighting, other members of the Blue Sharks send boos and jeers at the performance of the fight. Meanwhile, Vikov, along with his assistant Lince, watches the fight from the sidelines.
"Well, this is a different reaction from what we had expected. What do you want me to do, sir?"
Vikov ponders a bit of what is going to do about the situation the fighters are in. Then he came up with the idea.
"Bring
them
into the field, too."
"Ah, yes, I understand. As you wish, sir. I'll get right on it."
As soon as he gets what Vikov is saying, Lince jumps down crate-by-crate to command two of his subordinates to bring "them" into the arena. While that is going on, Clugil keeps on dodging Darmac's attacks.
"C'mon now, is that all you can do, run? You're letting the audience down."
"I'm not running, dumbass! I'm protecting myself!"
He says it as he keeps on dodging and blocking Darmac's attacks. The attacks that he deals out are unpredictable, so there's no way to figure out where to hit him. Clugil starts to slow down as his body starts to give in from all the dodging. However, this gives Darmac the advantage.
"You're slowing down. Good. Then I hope you can actually take a hit. Hyah!"
"Gah!"
Clugil tries to defend Darmac's attack, but his guard breaks when Darmac uppercuts Cligil's defense, leaving him wide open. Then, he sends a hard punch to Clugil in the solar plexus. As he gets hit by that punch, Clugil coughs out blood and Darmac sends him flying to the other side of the arena. The impact of the punch was so hard that it felt like he was hit by a boulder.
"Now
this
is what we wanted to see!"
"The fight is finally on!"
"Darmac is the true badass of the Blue Sharks!"
The warehouse echoes when members of the Blue Sharks send loud cheers when Darmac lands a blow on Clugil.
"I didn't want to disappoint you all with this
inexperienced
fighter dragging out the game of chicken, so I'd 'thought why not toy with him until he gives out'. You all want to see me beat him more?"
"Yeah, kick his ass! I want to see him bleed!"
"Now
this
is a fight worth watching."
"Hell Yeah! Screw that pussy rat, keep doing like you always do!"
"Keep on punching him until he dies!"
Based on the crowd's reaction to Darmac's question, it looks like they do want to make Clugil suffer. If this surely keeps up, then Clugil might not be able to survive. Lince, who is behind the cage, tells Darmac the news.
"Payne. Sir Vikov is sending you two more challengers to fight."
"Oho? More fresh meat? Lucky me! I love a good challenge. Send them in!"
While Darmac, intrigued that he'll gain some challenge of himself, Lince commands his subordinates, while they are carrying two beastmen with them; both blindfolded, gagged, and their hands tied behind their back, to be thrown into the arena.
"What the—?!"
Clugil couldn't believe his eyes. The two beastmen that the thugs brought were both Touya and Raiji. However, they were both badly bruised and covered in cuts all around their body. Clugil quickly approaches them and unties their hands.
"The hell happened to you boys?"
"I'm sorry, sir. They fought us, but we were outmatched."
"It's that...damn one-arm bastard! They set us all up!"
"Wait, a setup?!"
"Boss gave the order to these guys. They wanted us dead."
"—!"
Realizing that this whole plan was a setup, he turned his attention towards Vikov, who was sitting on top of a stack of crates.
The fact that both Touya and Raiji were covered in bruises was because they were with Pugar when they were separated from Clugil. This was their chance and attacked them without giving any warnings. It was a plan—given the order from their boss, Vikov—from the start.
"W-Why boss?"
"..."
"We did everything you told us. We did everything where we needed to go. We did everything to make you satisfied! Weren't we good enough?!"
"..."
"Answer me!"
As Clugil tries to get answers from the leader himself, Vikov remains silent as if he didn't care to answer his question, he only wants to see both Clugil and Darmac fight. However, he took a deep breath and he gave his answer to Clugil.
"...You are weak."
"Huh?"
"You are weak to defend yourself. You are weak to fight against someone. You are weak to complete a task that I set out. You are an embarrassment to the Blue Sharks' name. I would never let someone this weak to be in the Blue Sharks, let alone leading a team that is pathetic as you are. This organization has no room for failures. Weakness is a sin; the strong survive and the weak die. That is what you are, and that is your punishment. Execution."
That's what it is. The reason why Vikov threw Clugil, and the rest of his team, was sent into the arena in the first place. It was meant for their punishment; punished for failing, punished for embarrassing the Blue Sharks' name simply because he was weak.
Clugil has no idea how to take it all in. Meanwhile, Darmac, who is standing on the other end of the arena, was quietly patient as Vikov's speech went on. Then, he finally voiced out towards Clugil after Vikov was done with his speech.
"Are we gonna fight or not? I don't really give a shit what's going on, but my fists are aching for a fight that I can't wait any longer! So c'mon!"
"You shut up!"
"Oh?"
"'The strong survive and the weak die' my ass! We're here because we survived on our own volition. Just because you act all high and mighty, do you have to control and walk over us? I know we're a criminal organization, but all of us take up petty crimes like stealing and breaking stuff, not resorting to killing someone! This is too far! It is not what the Blue Sharks are supposed to be! This is against what the boss had intended."
"Well, you shouldn't have taken the job in the first place. We're not some goodie two-shoes like you, your team, or that old timer who calls himself your 'boss'. If you don't like it, too bad, you're stuck with it. You can't back out of it now. If you do, well, you'll die, obviously. Besides, we like the new ways, ain't that right, fellas?"
"You da man, Darmac!"
"Yeah! Screw that old turd!"
"With Vikov as leader, we can do whatever we want!"
"Hell yeah! The old Blue Sharks sucks!"
Even what Clugil had said was somewhat justifiable, Darmac—and other members of the Blue Sharks—said otherwise. It seems like they've forgotten the old ways of the Blue Sharks used to be. Now it has become a criminal organization that wants nothing but money and bloodlust, and with Vikov leading the Blue Sharks, no one is going to defy him, otherwise, they'll share the same fate: death.
"C'mon Darmac, kill this weakling!"
"Yeah, there's no reason to have them in here!"
"Just start the fight and kill them!"
"If you kill them, you can have my body, Darmac!"
"Do it, Darmac!"
Everyone in the warehouse chants Darmac's name and demands him to kill Clugil on stage. Darmac couldn't help but give a big smile to his face as he listened to the crowd chanting and demanding.
"Hear that? That's the voice of people wanting what they want, and I'm gonna give it to them. Now fight."
"Damn it..."
Clugil didn't want to fight him, he never wanted to fight him to begin with. He has no magic, no armor, or anything to defend himself. But he had no other choice. He has to fight to survive. But he is not the only one that is standing with him, there was also Touya and Raiji.
"If you think you're gonna beat us, think again!"
"Yeah, so what if we're weak? Even if Clugil—I mean sir, can be mean at times, we're still by his side."
"You guys..."
After showing some courageous banter from his teammates, Clugil decides to stand along with them and fight with them. Touya raises his fists, Raiji takes out his twin short swords, and Clugil equips himself with a dagger in hand.
"Alright! Let's show them who's boss! If we make it out alive, we'll reach the top and return Blue Sharks to the way it was!"
As Clugil claimed himself, both Touya and Raiji responded with a loud "yeah!" as they're getting ready for the big combat that is about to happen.
"Listen here you meat-headed asshole! I've already learned by fighting your kind, so don't think I'll make the same mistake twice."
"Splendid! Now how long can you last?"
Darmac gave himself a wide grin as he was getting ready to face off against Clugil's team in a deadly no holds barred.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
Vincilos. Regarded as the hottest yet peaceful cities. The place is shaped like a cone—at least, that's what half of it. The other half is the open field where adventures set out and hunt. In between, there's a wall between the city and the wild, acting as a border protecting the city.
The city is divided into three different districts—three separate halves. The first layer is the Housing District located on the top half of the city. It was a place where residential homes like private houses, apartment complexes, and inns are located.
The second layer is the Shopping District, which is located in the middle area of the city. It is the heart of Vincilos where most people shop for goods such as food, clothing, furniture, and also weapons, and also locations such as restaurants. Some stores also act as living quarters for owners who don't want to leave the store.
Lastly, the third layer located in the lower level of the city is the Docking District. It is used to dock ships and uses the warehouses to ship goods or store them until another ship arrives to transport them to another country.
It's also known for its good fishing spot. Fishermen are free to fish from the docks or use rental boats to fish in the ocean. However, since the Blue Sharks took over the Docking District, a lot of fishermen weren't able to fish ever since.
If they could beat the leader of the Blue Sharks, then the Docking District would be free for the people to fish once more.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Shouya and Gin arrived at the city square, where the center of the chaos was happening. Fires scorching and spreading from one building to another. Blue Shark members were persecuting people; dragging them from their homes and into the street, or casting fire magic or throwing molotov cocktails at their homes, burning them alive inside.
The cries and screams of people that are being tortured by these horrific events that Shouya felt terrified and uneased by these hellish scenes.
This is what he was describing in his mind:
Hell.
This is horrible. So much destruction. So many killings. Why would anyone do such a thing? It's just like—
"Hey, watch out!"
"—!!"
"Huaaa!"
Without a moment to think, a man with a sword in hand ran towards Shouya. He was so distracted by the uncomfortable situation that this doesn't give him enough time to react. Before he could take Shouya's life, Gin quickly deflected the man's sword and, with his sheer strength, made a wide cut through his torso with his large greatsword, splitting him in two.
"You're alright?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Don't let your guard down for a second! They're going to attack you, so be prepared! C'mon!"
"Right!"
Shouya and Gin made haste through the fiery streets. One might suggest, even Shouya in his mind at one point, that they would've used the alley to get to their destination safely. While that may be a safe option, the only downside is that it would only slow them down to the point that they don't have enough time to save the city before the Inquisitor arrives.
The city is huge; there's just so many paths to take that you could easily get lost and take the wrong path if you don't know the location. Not to mention that some paths are too narrow to get through, you could easily get jumped by an enemy at any time, and also, Gin is at a huge disadvantage because his sword was too big to even swing it, he'll be left himself wide open. If they were to engage in combat, they would have very limited space to fight in.
While traversing through the alley is a safe option, it's too risky to take that idea. The only quick way to get to the warehouse as fast as possible was to take the dangerous route, and they went along with it.
"These people... Isn't there anything we can do to help them?"
"As much I want to sympathise with you, but we don't have enough time to help them. They'll pay for the pain they've caused."
Gin grounded his fangs as he felt the frustration within him. All of the chaos in front of them happened preemptively. They couldn't have known that this was going to happen. They couldn't do anything to prevent this.
"Look alive boys! We got fresh meat!"
Before they could continue, they were stopped by a group of Blue Shark members—a total of twelve men—were blocking the street in front of them. They were holding various weapons such as swords, axes, spears, and maces and machetes, too. Even some of them are going to fight barehanded.
Their menacing looks and intimidating bodies gave Shouya a little fright, but Gin, however, was not fazed by it. Instead, he was annoyed.
"Tch! I don't have time for you goons! Move out of our way so we can give your boss a piece of my mind."
"
You?
Going to face our boss?"
After they had heard Gin that he and Shouya were going to take down Vikov, the members of the Blue Sharks laughed at them, not taking them seriously.
"W-We do not want to cause any more trouble, but it would be grateful if you all not to destroy the city. If you guys stop and surrender peacefully, we won't have to fight each other."
Their laughs subsided when Shouya stepped in and tried to negotiate with them. Shouya wants to be a pacifist and not want to start a needless combat. But to them, they don't care.
After hearing his negotiation, their faces turned sour as they didn't like the idea.
"Look at this smartass! Are you suggesting that we're gonna give in and do what they say like their personal servants?"
"That's not what I—"
"You don't understand how much suffering we had to put through. The Blue Sharks are gonna change the socility and no one's gonna stop us!"
"But—"
"Don't worry. I'll understand once I'll get to your boss and give him a piece of my mind after I'll cut him down."
"Damn you!"
Agitated by Gin's words, the man ram towards them with a weapon in hand. The others followed suit after.
"Stand back, kid. I'm gonna show you how you fight."
Gin walked forward with his giant sword while Shouya stayed behind. It's a group of twelve beastmen versus one man. If it's a battle against odds, Gin was very outmatched. He would have no chance facing all twelve of them by himself. However, Gin's smile didn't fade as he had something up on his sleeves.
The group surrounds him in a circle, covering his surroundings. Then, he aims his large sword at the group.
"Now c'mon, who's gonna face me first?"
Intimidated by his taunt, one of the men from the group charged at him from the left side. He came charging with an axe in hand and swung at him. Gin blocked the attack, but another man charged next to him with a large machete in hand and tried to attack him, but he pushed the man who was blocking the axe in front of him and deflected the attacking man's machete with the same large sword before decapitating him with a single slash.
One after another, members of the Blue Sharks charge on him one by one with their weapons; metal clashing, sparks flying, and blood painting on the battlefield. It seemed like it would be an impossible fight, but to Gin, it was not a problem to him as he kept on blocking and dodging for every attack he saw as he counterattacks.
Gin landed a hit at the Blue Shark member with his sword and the man's body collapsed to the ground, falling victim to the wolf-man's blade. Other members charge towards Gin as they try to avenge their fallen comrades. But alas, they suffered the same fate as the giant sword struck their body.
Half of the group was annihilated by the wrath of the large lavender wolf and they couldn't get a single scratch off of him.
"C'mon, I still got energy left in me to take you all down!"
As Gin exclaims to the remaining members, the two men look at each other with a grin on their face and charges at Gin simultaneously. One member attacks him with his axe and Gin blocks the upcoming attack, blades locking into each other.
"—!"
However, the other member passed through Gin as he ran towards Shouya with a machete in hand, becoming the target.
"Quick, defend yourself!"
"Eek!"
In response to Gin's warning, without a moment too soon, Shouya quickly raised his sword and guarded the member's attack. The boy managed to keep on defending for a while until the man smacked his sword from his hands with his machete, leaving Shouya nothing to defend himself.
"Die!"
"Aaah!"
Shouya closed his eyes as the man raised his machete in the air to kill him. Shouya's means of defending himself was stripped away from him; he doesn't have anything to defend himself. All he can do now is to accept his fate.
"...Kaaa!"
Before his fate can be bet, Shouya looked up and saw the tip of Gin's blade pierced through the man's chest. It was something that was unexpected that even both the Blue Shark members and Shouya couldn't believe their eyes.
What struck the grunt was a long iron chain that connects from the tip of the blade to the mid-section of Gin's greatsword. It was long enough to reach from where he's standing to where Shouya was.
He yanked the man from Shouya and threw the body at one of the grunts before the chains retracting the tip back to the sword.
"Damn it! There's no way we could take this guy out. Let's attack all at once!"
Only five of them are left standing, but only four of the members charged towards Gin simultaneously with full force. As the group was about to approach him, Gin snorted.
"So that's how it is, huh? Very well!"
Gin puts two of his hands on the hilt of his giant sword. Then, something unordinary happens. His sword was suddenly split into two, turning from one sword into two swords.
"Haa!"
As the grunts were coming to them, Gin rapidly slashes the oncoming men in front of him, tearing them from limb to limb. Not only that he changed his sword, but his fighting style was changed as well. When his sword was one, his movement was slow and he could only take out one at a time. This time, when his sword became two, his attacks and movement were fast and he could take out more than one enemy.
That was the power that Shoya couldn't comprehend and was out of his league.
After turning them to mincemeat, there was only one remaining member left in front of him. But after seeing his friends get killed by the large wolf-man, the grunt fearfully surrendered and dropped his weapon.
"I-I surrender! I didn't know I was fighting
the
Wolf of the Grey Moon. I was doing what I was told. P-Please, spa—guk!"
Before the thug could continue, Gin grabbed him by the neck with his giant hand and lifted him in front of him. Comparing both the hand and the man's neck, it's like he could choke him out—or even break the man's neck—with only just one hand.
"If you knew who I am, then you shouldn't have started the fight in the first place, otherwise I would let you and your friends live."
Gin raises his blade behind him as he was going to stab the remaining grunt. If he does that, he would eliminate the obstacles that were in their way from the warehouse.
However...
"...Gin, wait! Don't kill him!"
"Huh?!"
Before he could kill the last thug, Shouya intervenes, halting Gin's execution. What was his purpose for stopping Gin from attempting to kill the thug? After what the Blue Sharks had done, it would've been ideal to get them back for the destruction that they've caused.
But to Shouya, however, that isn't the case.
"What do you mean don't kill him? Don't you see what they've been doing?"
"I know that, but he chose to surrender. At least spare someone who is unarmed."
"Even so, they're the cause of this destruction. You gotta know the circumstances."
"Gin, please..."
"..."
Gin looked at the worried Shouya, pleading to spare the thug's life. Despite that they are the enemies and what they're doing to the city right now, Shouya doesn't want another person to be killed, even if someone gave up the will to fight.
"...Fine."
He gave a deep sigh and let go of the thug and the man fell to the ground bum first. After he was released, the thug cowardly ran from the scene with his life spared. Gin turns to Shouya with a mild expression on his face.
"I can see that you have a good heart. I can commend that."
"T-Thank yo—"
"But..."
Gin flicked Shouya's forehead and he yelped out "ow". Even though it was a harmless flick, it felt as if he got hit by a baseball.
"Even if you tried to be nice, the same outcome won't work again. I mean, I can see what you're trying to do, but you gotta learn that not all people are gonna feel the same way."
"—"
"But you're not a bad kid. You've got good intentions, and I can't blame ya. I just don't want to see another person die in front of me. That includes you. You get what am I saying, right?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Hearing what Gin had said made Shouya feel a little warm inside. Even though what he said was true, his compliment and his safety for Shouya rings into his ear, and he couldn't help but to acknowledge what he said.
"Anyways, let's get going. We don't want to keep Jakki waiting."
"Right!"
That being said, both Shouya and Gin continue towards the Warehouse and save Jakki.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"Here they come!"
As they ventured down the fiery path of the burning city of Vincilos, Gin was the first one to shout out as members of the Blue Sharks ambushed them from the fire and fought them head on.
"Hyaa!"
Gin, with his brute strength, cuts through three men at the same time with just one slash. With a strength like that, he could defeat an army of a hundred with no problem.
"Gnn!"
Shouya, on the other hand, was merely blocking every attack coming right at him. He doesn't have any real experience of fighting—or even the thought of killing someone—first hand, so he just defends anyway he can. It makes sense for him to be the shield while Gin, a veteran who has more experience in combat than Shouya, is the sword.
As the thug was about to attack Gin from the back, Shouya immediately defended him before the thug could get a chance, and Gin followed up with a slice.
"Thanks, kid! But it looks like we're ain't done yet."
"They just keep coming."
They looked around and saw more members of the Blue Sharks approaching. Even though they had defeated as much as they could, more spawned in their place. They were outnumbered, but Gin could beat them all at once in a split second. But Shouya, on the other hand, barely has any strength left to fight. They had been running and fighting the thugs for ten minutes and he doesn't have much stamina left to stand, like his legs might give out at any minute.
Four of the thugs run towards Gin while one charges towards Shouya, who was defending the great wolf-man's back. The steel blades touched and Shouya guards the attack that was coming towards him. Despite being on the defensive, he can withhold a sword strike with all his might.
"Haaaa!"
He pushed back the man with his sword with little strength he had, and as he pushed back, he disarmed the man's sword and the thug tripped and fell to the ground with nothing to defend himself.
I...I did it! Yes! I finally did it! I've finally defended myself. But...
Before Shouya could celebrate his achievement, he looked down at the man on the hard pavement. There was no weapon in sight where the thug can defend himself with. He was wide open.
I...need to kill him. I need to survive! I want to survive!
"Haaa!"
Without a moment to think, Shouya charges towards the downed thug, with blade in hand. Shouya's will to live was unfazed that he doesn't give second thoughts about his actions. It was a blind act of survival of the fittest.
"Kid, wa—"
Before Gin could warn him, he blocks the upcoming attack from the Blue Shark member. But it was already too late.
"—!"
As Shouya was about to end him, the thug pulled out a short dagger behind his back and stabbed Shouya in the side of his gut. He felt a sharp pain coursing in him; the feeling of cold iron piercing through his skin.
"Aaahhh!!"
Shouya collapsed to the ground, squirming in pain, as he held on the bleeding wound for his dear life. It was reckless, it was irrational, he was too focused on surviving the fight that he didn't think straight. It was another huge mistake that he made. He didn't expect nor was he prepared for this to happen.
All of these things were happening to him, and only him, because he was unlucky.
"How does it feel to be the one in pain? Well this is what you get!"
The thug who stabbed him sat on his body and raised his knife above him, attempting to take Shouya's life. Gin would've wanted to save him, but he caught himself in a tangle as he was still fighting multiple members of the Blue Sharks around him, so it wouldn't be possible to even save him in time.
"Now die!"
"I don't think so! Huah!"
Before Shouya could meet his end, a loud voice bellowed and something struck the gang member's head, causing it to fly far away from where his body should've been as a geyser of blood erupts from the decapitated neck.
"—! Gunther?"
Shouya sees a familiar friend in front of him as he carries a giant hammer on him. It's not just an ordinary hammer, it's a warhammer. The size of it is as big as his body as the head of the hammer is a size of a vending machine—at least close to that.
Compared to Gin's sword, Gunther's warhammer was the second largest weapon that he had ever seen. If there was a competition of who has the biggest weapon, the clear winner would be Gin, and that's no exaggeration.
"Hey kid, stay with me! Alisa, help me here!"
"I'm coming! Ah! Sho!"
Alisa desperately rushed towards the wounded Shouya, who had been stabbed by the Blue Shark member as blood continued to gush out from him.
"Alisa, you know what to do."
"Right!"
As Gunther commanded her, she took out two colored crystals from her bag. It was the Magi-gems, but instead of the blue and green Magi-gems that they've shown to him before, it's green and yellow. She rubbed the two crystals with each other over the stab wound and a sprinkle of small lights fell from the crystals and on to the bloody wound. A small glow casted from the wound and it started to close itself.
This is the power of Magi-gems of what they're capable of. But it didn't last long as the crystals started to lose their color after using it once.
After closing Shouya's wound, he stood up normally with no problem.
"W-Wow. It actually worked. Than— ah!"
Out of nowhere, she hugged him, worried that he might die in front of her. Thankfully she had saved him in the last minute.
"Thank goodness! I almost thought I hadn't saved you."
"Yeah, thanks. And thanks, Gunther. If you hadn't been here, I would've been a goner."
"Heh. No problem! And you should thank these bad boys. Speaking of which, how much do we have left Alisa?"
"Sadly, we're out of it."
As she searched thoroughly in her bag, she couldn't find any more of the green and yellow Magi-gems. All that are left in there were all the Magi-gems that are greyed out.
"Wait, I thought you said they have limited uses. What happened?"
"Well, it depends on how they were used. But combining these two in particular takes up the whole thing."
"So you can only use them once?"
"Exactly. We used them to treat the wounded all the way here. So that's why you can see that they have no color in them."
"Oh, I see..."
Would've been great if we could use them multiple times. But I guess that's not possible if you can use them only one time, huh.
Shouya had learned that he can't rely on the Magi-gems too much, otherwise they would grey out very quickly and they would be a waste. Shouya still has the Magi-gems that he got from Gunther back at the inn, but he has to use them carefully for now on.
"—Ah! What about Gin?"
"Right here. Had to ruff up those guys while I had to defend you all."
As Shouya tries to figure out where he was, worried what might've happened to him, Gin calls from behind him with his blood-covered sword on his shoulder. It seemed like Gin had defeated them all by himself without any help and survived without a scratch. Even though he's in fine condition, Shouya blames himself for leaving Gin's side.
"I'm sorry for leaving your side. I should've—"
"You don't have to say anything. Right now, we don't have time to waste."
"Oh, right."
"Time? What does he mean by that?"
Oh, right. I forgot they weren't there.
Alisa and Gunther were confused about what Gin was talking about until Shouya had realized that until now. He explained to them what happened in the events up until now: the battle against Darmac, Jakki's capture, and the time limit until the Inquisitor arrives. They were shocked when they heard all of that, and not only that, their expressions are filled with worry.
"So the Inquisitor is coming here. Never thought I would hear about him again."
"Huh? You know about him Gunther?"
"We had a...rough relationship back then."
"Huh? What do you mean?
"He was the most awkward yet boring person I had ever met. He didn't even crack a smile or even take a joke. But the one thing that's been bothering me that I can't stand about him is that he's a cold and heartless savage, and no matter who's with him or what's his view of the world, friend or foe, he didn't care for anyone. He'll attack anyone who stands in his way to achieve their goal. That's one of the reasons I quit the unit."
Everything that Gunther had said sends shivers down Shouya's spine. He had never heard someone that was ruthless before, so ruthless that he doesn't care if the world turns on him. Even Gin buried his fangs and both he and Alisa turned their face away from the history that Gunther told.
That is why the Inquisitor was not only the most powerful person in the world, but the most infamous person alive.
"While I don't mean to brag, but we don't have time to stand still. We can still save the city if we defeat the leader."
While Shouya was left in silence, Gin snapped him out as he had almost forgotten what was his original task: save Jakki, defeat the leader of the Blue Sharks, and halt the members to regain dominance of Vincilos.
"That's right! With your smarts, that's the only way to grab his attention. The Inquisitor couldn't initiate the destruction without proof."
"So we're going to help you two out!"
"Alisa, Gunther..."
Both Alisa and Gunther have decided to help out to carry out their plan. This brings joy to Shouya as they'll need the back-up they can.
"Thank you."
"Daww, there's no need to thank us. C'mon, let's get moving! Alisa, you evacuate the citizens in this city and to the gate. I'm gonna go with the boys."
"Alight! And Sho..."
"Yeah?"
"Please take care of yourself."
"Right."
Those last words brings a little hope to his heart as she left to evacuate everyone from the city. With the plan in motion, Shouya, Gin, and Gunther begin their mission and heads down the road to save Vincilos. One hour and thirty minutes left until the destruction of Vincilos.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"Mind telling me where we're going?"
Shouya begins to ask him as they are passing through the narrow alley, with Gin in the lead. This was a decision that was made by Gin; he suggested that they'll use this route so that not only it's a shortcut to their destination, but also not to be seen by a gang of Blue Sharks members.
This was a simple yet wise decision. The streets have been raided and bombarded with members of the Blue Sharks, causing mayhem and destruction. If they had taken the open streets instead, they'll encounter them and they have to fight through them by force.
Gin had no problem facing them in combat, but Shouya, however, couldn't as he was defenseless.
This isn't just about a test of strength, but numbers as well. If they were to encounter a group of Blue Sharks members, they would likely attack both of them all at once. Gin will likely survive the fight, but Shouya would easily get killed before he could get a chance to save Jakki.
In response to his question, Gin gave him an answer.
"I need to get to my workplace!"
"Your workplace?"
"Yeah! I need to get my weapon before we head out. I can't fight anyone without being armed and ready."
"Oh!"
Now that I think about it, I've never seen where he works.
Ever since he came to another world, it had never crossed his mind to where Gin worked. He wasn't around with Enna and their children in the flower store, so it must've meant that he had worked somewhere other than the flower store.
Wait a minute. That doesn't make any sense.
He realized something was off from that statement. He asked Gin, wanting an answer that something wasn't right to what he just said.
"Wait, Gin, aren't you good at hand-to-hand combat? Why do you need a weapon?"
"Fighting up close with just my fist isn't my only specialty. Besides, in a situation like this, this calls for desperate measures."
"But you have that ability that can overpower everything! Can't you use that against them?"
"That may be true, but I can't use it every time."
"What do you mean?"
"Guyun Tatorra
is
an overpowered ability, but there's one drawback to that ability: it'll sap my energy when I use it. That's why I'll only use it for emergencies only. Think of it as a 'last resort'."
"W-Wha?!"
Shouya couldn't understand what he had just heard up until now. Even though Gin is skilled in hand-to-hand combat, he is more proficient in wielding a weapon. But what he didn't understand was that his ability, Guyun Tatorra, was hindering him from using it as much as he wanted. If he uses it too much, then it would leave him wide open.
If that were the case, then that would leave him a huge disadvantage in the long run.
Shouya and Gin exited the alley and reached the other side of the street. They checked if there was anyone on the street, but luckily, there was no one, they were in the clear. They walked a couple of feet until they reached their destination.
"Ah, here! Welcome to my workshop!"
Wait, he's a blacksmith?!
Shouya couldn't read the sign, but he can see a familiar picture of an anvil and hammer that are on the sign above them. He couldn't believe that Gin works in blacksmithing, but at the same time, it also makes sense. His store was a half block away from Enna's flower shop, using the alley was the means that they can travel back and forth from the living place to the store in a short distance without separating each other.
They entered the store and he sees a wide virality of weapons: swords, spears, warhammers, chakrams, sais, you name it. There's also armors stored here so people can wear them for protection and blunt weapons such as staffs and nunchakus. He usually sees them in anime and video games, but not in person.
Seeing how much weapons Gin had made, Shouya was amazed as this was his first time seeing actual real like weapons from another world.
"You made all of them?"
"That's right! Made from the finest materials there is. Been working here for years after I retired from the military. Anyways, my blade is in the back, so take whatever you need."
Gin jumps over the counter and heads to the back of the store. While he's getting his weapon, Shouya roams around the store to find a weapon for himself to fight against the Blue Sharks.
Hmm... There's so many to choose from. This one, I guess? And this, too...
He picked up a long two-handed broadsword that was stocked with a pile of swords hanging on the wall. There was a bit of weight that was put on the sword, but Shouya can pick it up with ease. He also picked up and wore bits of metal armor on his chest and arms to defend himself.
That should be it...I think.
Shouya doubts himself about his preparation of his equipment, but he believes that it should be enough. After preparing himself for the battle, Gin returns from the back of the store.
"Are you ready?"
"K-Kind of... But man that thing is huge!"
When he saw Gin's weapon above his shoulder, he couldn't believe his eyes. Then Gin begins to show off the sword in front of Shouya.
He carries a large metallic yet oddly designed greatsword that is bigger than Shouya's height. He imagined that it may look very heavy to lift it, but to Gin, it was nothing. It was as if he was holding a feather.
"Impressed? This thing's a beauty. I had used this baby for years during the war. It does what no other weapons could do. Once you see it in the battlefield first hand, you're in it for a little surprise."
Shouya was astonished by the sword's appearance, but his expression quickly disappeared as he felt a sense of drought on his mind, beginning to doubt himself.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you
sure
you want me to have this?"
"Hey, if it's about the price, you don't have to worry about it."
"N-No, it's not that! It's just that I don't know how to fight, even with a sword."
"It's easy, you just have to hack and slash your way."
"That's easy for you to say!"
Flustered by Gin's nonchalant response, Gin laughs at Shouya's exclamation. The interaction between them brightened the mood a bit. Even though of the current situation they're in, Gin just simply laughs it off as if it was a joke.
"...But if you say so, then alright."
"That's the spirit!"
With the help of Gin's encouragement, Shouya felt a little bit determined with his choice of weapons. Not only does Shouya have no experience in fist fighting, but he has no experience in sword fighting either.
Back in his world, he had little experience in sword fighting by attending kendo, but he was not very good at it. He often watched other students partake in kendo tournaments. He did participate once before, but he ended up last place and never bothered trying it again. It was the only time that he had experience in swordsmanship.
"Hmm?"
"What is it?"
"Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Strange, I don't hear anything.
Gin's ears start twitching and heads outside. Shouya followed. A canine's ears have a strong sense of hearing compared to a human's ears. It can pick up sounds from yards away and knows what it sounds like.
Shouya tries to pick the sound, but he doesn't hear anything. It was probably that his body didn't develop any canine traits in him. Gin aimed his face at the direction of what his ears picked up.
"Huh?"
"Wait, is that..."
They see a familiar man from a distance. It's Clugil. He is running at the two of them, limping, and mortally wounded.
"...Hah...hah..."
"Well well, look what the rat dragged in. Are you happy now that your members are destroying this city?"
"Wait, Gin, something's not right."
"...Please..."
He continued to dash towards them until Clugil's knees gave out and collapsed in the middle of the street. He was just six feet away from the two of them, but he doesn't have the energy to keep running anymore.
"You gotta help me!"
"Help you? You're the ones that caused all of this!"
"We didn't want this to happen!
I
didn't want this to happen! Not even
he
would want this."
Huh?
"Pah! Say what you will, we ain't gonna help you! You kinda deserve it for what you did to me and my wife. So why should we help you? If you want help, it's better to help yourself! We're going to stop your leader."
"...! You're...going to stop Vikov?"
"That's what we're gonna do. But don't think you're going to stop us. But if you do..."
"W-Wait! Hold on a minute!"
Before Gin got closer to Clugil, Shouya stepped in, intervening the two. This puts him in a questionable position, even Gin couldn't understand.
"I think we should hear him out."
"Why? Are you defending this scum, kid?"
"It's not that! It's just that something felt off to what he said. So let's just hear him out."
Even though Gin didn't quite get it, Shouya had a reason why to stop him from spouting at Clugil any further. Before going along with his plan, Gin took a deep sigh and gave a muttered "Fine", calming himself. Shouya turns to Clugil and asks him a question.
"Who's 'he'?"
"Dakolo, the
real
boss of the Blue Sharks."
"The real boss? I thought Vikov was the boss, isn't he?"
"Vikov was his right-hand man, but he doesn't view the same way as Dakolo had. We only wanted to do small crimes, like he ordered. Not destroy the city, what that bastard Vikov is doing!"
"Then where is this Dakolo guy?"
"He's long gone. He disappeared from this city a long time ago and never came back. That's why Vikov is now ruling over us as the new leader."
"So he took initiative after the leader left, huh?"
Even though it's a mere speculation, Shouya could see the possibility of that would be the case. If the real leader of the Blue Sharks never returned, then his subordinate would take his place as the new leader.
However, something doesn't add up.
"But why would the leader leave his men behind?"
"He said that he was heading to Theacala, but that's about it."
"...!"
The moment that he mentions that place caught Gin's attention. It seemed like he knew something about the place.
"What's wrong Gin?"
"If I remember correctly, Theacala is one of the six hierarchical cities in the world."
Hierarchical cities?
"But for him to go to that place alone, he must have a death wish or something."
"What do you mean?"
"If I remembered correctly, Theacala is heavily guarded and they have the strongest military in the country. Not to mention that it's the home of where the Inquisitor is. I'd say I would stay away from fighting against that country, but if your leader really headed there alone, then it's easy to say that he's already good as dead."
Based on the tone and the stern expression that Gin makes, it seemed like he was serious. If what Gin had said was true, that Theacala was the most powerful country, then the true leader of the Blue Sharks couldn't have survived it, let alone by himself.
But even if he had brought some forces with him, the possibility of him surviving the fight is close to zero; not only because of strength or numbers or how they plan out of the attack, but because.
Shouya, even after learning about that country's resources and power they have, was left speechless. However, Gin had now realized something.
"Shit! Now that I think about it, we don't have enough time. We must get to him quickly before the Inquisitor arrives!"
"W-W-W-Wait, the Inquisitor is coming? Here?!"
Out of anyone that is here currently, Clugil didn't know—or even aware—that the Inquisitor is arriving in Vincilos to destroy the city. With an affirming nod from the giant wolfman in front of him, Clugil starts to panic, adopting all of the fears that are inside of him.
"Aaahhhh!!! Shit! Shit! Shit! The Inquisitor is coming! This is the end of the world! I don't want to die here!"
"Huh? Gin, what do you mean 'don't have enough time'? How long does it take for the Inquisitor to get here?"
"..."
Shouya wants to hear the answer that Gin has to say. He took a deep breath and snorted out a sigh, answering his question.
"The time to get to Vincilos from Theacala is roughly about six days."
"Well that's not too bad. We still got enough time—"
"But that's only on an average regular soldier would arrive. For the Inquisitor, that's different."
"...Huh?"
"The time for the Inquisitor to get to Vincilos from Theacala is two hours."
"—!"
Shouya's hopes dropped immensely when he heard how much time they had left. This is barely enough time for him to train on how to use a sword. All he could rely on now is what he had learned from kendo.
They have to defeat the Blue Shark's leader as quickly as possible.
"Now tell me..."
Gin rushes to Clugil, who is cowering in fear about the end is about to come, and grabs him by the collar. He pulls him close to his dog-like frame and asks him in a stiff expression.
"Where's my son?"
"I..."
"Where is your boss?!"
"Eek!"
"Bah! You're no help!"
Getting no information from the frightened Clugil, he drops him, landing bum first. He was impatient; he's in a rush to find Jakki that he doesn't have the time to calm his anger. He was fixated on saving his son than anything else.
But at the game time, Clugil was too afraid to give out an answer to him. The mind of the Inquisitor coming to destroy Vincilos is still running rampant in his mind. He lacked the courage to pull himself up from his own despair.
"Please... You have to help us. If you don't, the people will die here."
Clugil looks at Shouya who was pleading for his life. He was desperately asking him to tell them where his leader, Vikov, is located. If they could beat Vikov, then Gin, Enna, and everyone in Vincilos, including the city itself, can be saved.
He slowly loosens himself from his fears and begins to point at a warehouse that is on the docks close to the sea.
"He's at the warehouse, that's where he gives commands to everyone. But..."
"—We have to pass through that?"
Shouya and Gin looked down at the chaos that are ravaging on the street. Fires spreading, buildings vandalized, and Blue Sharks are wreaking havoc on the streets.
The only way to get to the warehouse is to pass through the dangerous path.
"Hah! That shouldn't be a problem."
While Shouya was hesitant by the sight of the path they see, Gin, however, scoffs off as he doesn't see it as a problem. There wasn't a single hint of fear on him; he didn't care if he put himself in danger. All he wanted to save his son, that is all that matters.
"Alright then, let's get going!"
"R-Right!"
With no time to spare, they made a mad dash towards the dangers to rescue Jakki. As they're heading towards the battlefield, Clugil watches them go off to take on the leader, Vikov.
"...Can they really beat him? Bah! Why do I care? It's not my problem. But...I do hope they kill that son of a bitch. Hate to say this, but you guys are our last hope."
Time is in the essence. They have to defeat the leader of the Blue Sharks as quickly as possible before the Inquisitor arrives and destroys Vincilos. They have to save Vincilos no matter the cost.
Two hours remaining before the destruction of Vincilos.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
A leader of a nation called by the name of the Yonia led by Nomia Wilia.
Various travelers started entering a town and encountered a group and saw the sign called Nomi.
Nomia Wilia summoned her servants Reisu and Rina into her chambers and then started discussing how they proceed in the war against the human race.
Various tactics and ideas were shared even arming humans seeking to rebel against their homeland.
Rina: "We should treat life like a battlefield and think of how we may proceed but we can't just ignore the needs of our people."
A servant entered the chambers and then began sharing their various meals before even pouring drinks into the cups as the discussions went on.
As they started leaving, someone started throwing insults at those Nomia Wilia chambers but both ignored the hater and then proceeded toward their destined forces for operations against the Huma Empire.
The Vampires held their swords up pridefully like so many so their descendants before them but they felt like this time will differ from before.
They began heading westward towards the border of the Huma Empire then started battle preparations.
A guard spotted them and activated the skill overseer to see what the forces of Yonia were doing.
The guard ran toward his commander and chief about the matter at hand.
His Commander advised that they shouldn't strike first but wait for a reaction from the enemy before provoking a fight.
So the commander started writing a letter to Queen Ania and King Solous about the matter.
After a week of traveling from the messenger to the Royal Capitol, the messenger arrived at the Royal Castle without issue and then started to give the letter in question.
Without any further issues going on and both agreed on getting a 60% mobilization against the forces moving on, they started heading out.
After a month of preparation. the forces of Nomia Wilia began war preparations against their target in question.
After a while, both sides began full mobilization, they headed towards the Goriuh plains that were southeast of their border.
Soldier:" Captain Husiwa Isowa, what shall we do?"
Husiwa Isowa headed towards the graveyard to engage a strong vampire.
As the chaos of the battle, neither side gave in until Nomia Wlia dispatched Reisu and various other demons to decrease the ranks of the enemy at night.
But only 1/4/10 of the forces that were supposed to be killed were eliminated during the raid.
So Commander Diaphous started reorganizing the troops into a traditional Phalanx formation to face the enemy forces before them.
But before they could do more fighting, Rina's sister arrived and a suggestion was provided for ending the two forces.
Rinayama stepped and provided a suggestion to the enemy commander.
Rinayama: "I will face your champion in a 1v1 duel to determine who is the mightiest one of these."
Diaphous laughed and drew a line then pointed at the sun then stated how he felt about the matter yet everyone saw that was form mutual respect is showing even due they are at war with each other.
He agreed then headed towards the graveyard then discussed the rule and how they proceed on the matter.
Husiwa Isowa agreed then both drew their respective weapons then began fighting each other but without any skills being used, it took a while for Husiwa Isowa to gain an upper hand.
After some period of time, the fighting came to a with Husiwa Isowa gaining a nearly complete upper hand which propped Nomia Wilia to arrive at the site and then start clapping before them.
So Nomia Wilia headed out towards the human royal Capitol and then began discussions with Queen Ania and King Solous about the matter in question.
So a peace deal was signed after a few days of discussing and negotiating on how they may proceed on the matter in question.
Both sides started collecting the dead in question and then started discussing how they proceed on the matter in question.
One month after the peace settlement with the Huma Empire, Nomia Wilia came upon their balcony and started discussing with her servants why so many died a month ago.
Servant:" The enemy had skills being launched from their high walls while our recruits were the first in the 1st column which ended up rolled by Human Empire but our veterans dispelled their attacks in question so the battle went swimmingly."
Nomia broke the cup of blood after hearing that comment from him.
So she told him to leave before things turn for the worse for him, Nomia looked at the ruined state of her kingdom yet the noble faction within her kingdom always voted for war 100 years which caused her blood to boil at the thought of losing more of her people in this pointless war to fill their pockets.
So she summoned her highest-ranking servants into her chamber and then asked them about how they may stop the noble from gaining more influence to cause another war for the generation of humans.
Vampire:" Finia, how about we just use the people's own anger and war wariness to stop the future war."
Finia agreed but explained the pros and cons of doing this when both agreed that using the Royal Faction's larger reserves of manpower to keep the people from being forced into Noble factions forces.
So Nomia Wilia started mobilizing her forces against the 3 noble provinces of the Yonia, after 2 weeks of entering their villages, town, and cities.
But Joria, Jofu, and Torina escaped for a week but got caught by the Royal Faction Forces meanwhile the noble faction forces were nowhere to be seen.
Vampiric Soldier:" Where's the enemy force?"
Vampiric Soldier 2:" They are wiped out for 2 months, we are just mopping up the corpse that is before us."
Nomia Wilia headed towards the province of Haniro and then surveyed the damage but to her shock, there was no issue but people just doing their daily tasks while soldiers went to and fro.
Vendor:" Apples for sale, 2 coppers and say, you sir."
The local humans lined up and then purchased the 5 apples then they went back towards the local mines and shelters until further notice.
As time passed by, with the same old happening so she headed toward the other 2 provinces but got what was expected but Nomia hoped to see something more.
With no more issues within her land, she started rebuilding her kingdom and the world became peaceful during her rain. |
After being fed by Enna's cooking, she cleans the dirty dishes in the kitchen. Shouya insists on helping her with the dishes. She agrees and both of them start washing the dishes.
"Again, thanks for the food. It was really good."
"Hehe, thanks! You know, I wasn't just an ordinary girl who sells flowers and pottery. I was a Grade-A chef back in the day."
"Really? So that's why the food looks and tastes good. Guess your customers have been pushing your limits, huh?"
"Oh, I really wouldn't say that. I've also made food for soldiers and treated their wounds from their injuries from the battlefield when I was your age."
"Wait, battlefield? You were in the military?"
"Yup! Medic Lieutenant Melenna Goldart. ...At least
former
Lieutenant Melenna Goldart. Now I'm Enna Glymes. A wife of the man I love, mother of two children, and the owner of the best flower store in Vincilos for fourteen years straight."
"That's kind of detailed information you got there, but I can see why."
Though I'm not so sure about that last part.
Shouya thought to himself doubts about Enna's last comment about having the best flower store. But at the same time, he never fully explored Vincilos, only parts of it when toured with Alisa. So for now, he'll just overlook it and continue to clean the dishes.
"Oh, that reminds me. I've gotta give you a room to stay in. Here, follow me. Oh, and you don't worry about the remaining dishes, I'll finish them for you."
Leaving the dishes aside, Enna escorts Shouya from the kitchen and to the hall. From there, he sees a split path, two doors on the left and three doors on the right. They took a right and passed the first door, which was the bathroom. They both stand in front of the second door, the room that is across the bathroom, and Enna opens it.
Inside the small room, there are layers of fertilizer being stacked on top of each other, including some of already-made pottery that are displayed on the shelves, and a couple of wooden crates right next to each other.
"Here's what you'll be staying for the night. It's not much, but that's all I can give you."
"It's alright. You don't have to worry about it."
Even if the room is a bit cramped, Shouya shrugs it off, as if he doesn't mind it so much. Enna picks up something from the selves. He sees a familiar rolled up fabric that Enna has with her. Then she places it on the floor and pushes it, unrolling the sheet of fabric and turning it into a futon.
"So I guess that's what I'll be sleeping?"
"That's right. Is something wrong?"
"N-Not at all. I'm fine with this. I was already used to this back home, so it's not a problem for me."
"If there's anything you would need, feel free to let me know, okay? Anyways, goodnight."
"G-Goodnight."
Enna closes the door and leaves the room, leaving Shouya alone in the dark room with the futon under him. Shouya gets on the floor and wraps himself with it.
The family here ain't that bad, they're nice, actually. They give me food, a place to stay, and they're being so kind to me, even when I make the smallest mistakes. Never thought I'd say this, but this is paradise.
A nice home to live in, some delicious food he ate, and people that didn't question or judge his consequence. It is like his dream has come true after all.
Shouya wanted to give himself a joyful smile as he had got everything that he wanted.
However...
But why...?
His expression quickly changed from optimistic and positive to doubtful and uncertain, and to feeling depressed and sorrow.
He got everything he wanted; he got people that are on his side and they support him from trouble whenever he needs to, so he should be happy.
But why am I not feeling happy about this?
Even though he is expressing joy, somehow, he doesn't feel like he was truly happy. Trying to hold back his tears, Shouya covers his eyes with his hand. But he couldn't hold it in as a single tear ran across his face.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"Alright you two, have a goodnight."
"Goodnight papa."
"Night night papa."
After both of the kids say their goodnight to their father, Gin quietly closes the door and heads silently to the room where he sees Enna is in bed, wearing a maple orange nightgown in front of him.
"Alright, I got the kids in bed, so they should be sleeping now. How's the boy?"
"He said that he doesn't mind the room. But do you think it's a good idea for me to let him sleep there? I kinda feel guilty for him. Maybe I should've let him sleep on the couch or a comfortable bed instead. Do you think he'll hate me for giving him a bad room? Ohhh, I'm a terrible hostess."
"Your habit is showing again."
"Bwah!"
As Gin playfully mentions Enna's
habit
, she covers her face with her hands as she was embarrassed by her own self-doubt of taking care of Shouya. But since Gin knows her for a long time, he knows how to calm her down—at least to an extent.
"You know, I've been wondering, why did you want to hire him in the first place?"
"Oh..."
When she heard his question, Enna removed her hands from her face as she made a gentle smile.
"He reminds me of you. You know, back when you and I first met back in our time in the military. He has that same fire on his eyes, just like yours."
"I see..."
"Plus, you were so shy that you jumbled your words a bit."
"H-Hey! It was my first time talking to a lady, and we were young back then, I didn't know what to say."
Gin became flustered as both he and Enna reminisced about their time when they were in the military. Then, both of them joyfully laughed together.
"It has been sixteen years, hasn't it? Sixteen years since we've married?"
"Yeah, it has. I still remember the day that you proposed to me after the war ended. Those were the times."
"Ah, yes. I've also remembered you wanted to have kids so we can start a family. To be honest, I was shocked when you first said that to me. I wasn't sure that we were ready for kids."
"But we pulled it off, did we?"
"Mhm. We made the right choice."
Sixteen years since they have been together ever since; with all the fighting and bloodshed they had witnessed from the war, it was a dark era of their time. Now that the war has been subdued, they can finally live in a peaceful life as a family. It was a choice that they didn't regret.
After taking a trip down memory lane, Gin laid his back on the bed, being close to his adoring wife Enna.
"Surely tomorrow we're gonna fix up your shop. Can't say what is going to happen after."
"You'll just leave one that to me. Believe me, I can work my way around, so don't worry about it."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. Nothing is going to make us separate from each other. Besides, me, Shouya, and the kids will take care of things at the store. So just relax, okay?"
Gin is a bit concerned about the situation about Enna and her store, but Enna gently holds his large hand, easing his worries away. Gin calms down a little and gives a joyful smile to her as he understands what she is saying.
"...Alright."
"Great! Now let's—"
"AAAAHHH!!"
Before Enna could finish what she was about to say, they heard a loud scream, as if it was coming from outside of the room.
"Was that—?!"
"I don't know, but stay here!"
Gin quickly got off from the bed and ran off the room, finding the source of where the scream came from. From there, he sees the children's room door open and heads straight towards it.
"Jakki! Gina!"
He surveys the room to see if the children are around. But unfortunately, they don't seem to be in the room.
"Hey, what's going on?"
While Gin tries to search for them, Shouya appears right in front of him, wanting to know what is happening. It seems like Gin isn't the only one who heard it; everyone that is inside the house heard Jakki's scream.
"Mama! Papa!"
It wasn't before long that they heard another one, it was Gina. Both Gin and Shouya reacted when they heard the scream coming from.
"It's coming from downstairs. C'mon, let's go!"
"R-Right!"
With no time to waste, they quickly rush towards the source to where the screaming came from and save both of his children.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Gina sees her brother, Jakki, rolling around on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. But every time he twisted and turned his body, he couldn't get himself to sleep.
"Can't sleep?"
"Mhm... Oh, I know."
He gets up and leaps off the bed as he heads to the door. His sister, Gina, questions what he is going to do.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get a cup of milk. That'll maybe help me get to sleep."
"You can't go out. You'll get in trouble."
"I'll be fine. I'll just get a cup of milk and bring it back here."
"What about mama and papa? Don't you have to ask them first?"
"I don't want to bother them while they're sleeping, so I'll go get it myself. Don't worry, I'll make sure not to wake mama and papa up."
Jakki is confident that he'll get himself a cup of milk without disturbing their parents, but Gina is a little bit concerned about her brother as his idea is a bit dumb for not asking their parents first, but she decides to go along with it, responding it with "...Okay."
He slowly opens the door and peeks his head out through the door to see if either his mother or his father are outside of the room. Surely enough, neither of them are in sight. He sees a light shining behind the intervals of the door. This must've meant that both of his parents are in their room.
Jakki sneakily heads through the halls and into the kitchen. With his small, dog-like feet, he was able to go through the hall without making a single creak. From there, he sees the refrigerator and opens the door; as he opens the door, he sees various contents that are inside: water, vegetables, and leftover food that they had during dinner. He moved the contents to the side until he spotted a large white container inside. He carefully pulls out the container and manages to take out the refrigerator without hitting the items.
"Ugh, it's heavy."
The container of milk was so heavy that a child like him isn't capable of lifting it; he would need someone older than him to fully lift a gallon of milk, but he can manage to lift it all by himself without any help.
Jakki places the container of milk on top of the table and searches the sink for a cup to hold the milk in. He grabs the cup and brings it to where the milk is and places it on the table. He carefully pours the milk into the cup, trying not to make a mess on the table. Luckily, he didn't make a single mess on the table.
After he was done pouring, he placed the container back in the refrigerator. He took a sip of the milk from the cup and gave a refreshing "ahh" as he headed to his room where his sister is.
However...
"Huh?"
Before he could return to his room, he heard a strange noise coming from downstairs; it sounded like someone was talking, but he couldn't hear it clearly as the door muffled the noise from the other side. Instead of heading back to his room, Jakki heads downstairs with the cup of milk with him.
He cautiously opens the door—but slightly—to get a peek at what is going on, trying not to get noticed. There were two mysterious men dressed in dark clothes. And even though Jakki can barely see them in the dark, he can vividly tell by the way they look.
One is a cat-like beast-man with all-black fur. He wore full-on dark-blue clothes to camouflage in the night, black fingerless gloves on his white hands, and a black mask to cover his mouth with it.
The other, unlike his beast-human friend, is an elf with brown hair and large pointy ears. He wore some sort of mossy green tunic with a black cowl and a single breastplate over it on the left side of his chest.
"Ugh, the smell of flowers and pollen, I hate it. Remind me again why we agreed to do this?"
"Because Vikov ordered us to execute the plan for Darmac. Tell me. If you knew that if it's going to be a flower store, then why do you want to join me? I could've done all of this by myself without you, you know."
"Well since they mentioned they run a store, I thought that I wanted to join in with ya. Besides, I don't want you to take all the goods by yourself."
"And if they don't have anything that is valuable for you to take? It would be a waste if you come here for nothing."
"Eh, at least I'll get something good out of it. Hey, go check over there and do whatever it is that you did."
"It's called lockpicking."
The elf man waves his hand and says "yeah, yeah" as he attempts to pry open the cash register with a crowbar while the cat-man lockpicks the door that is next to the register. That is probably how they entered the store in the first place; they used the cat-man's lockpicking skills to unlock the door without alerting anyone—including Jakki's parents, who own this store.
The elf, with the crowbar in hand, opens the register and he quietly blurs out "Hell yeah!" and steals the money from the register into the bag.
"Quiet you idiot!"
"Sorry, can't help it. Are you finished?"
As the elf-man asked that question, the cat-man unlocked the door and opened the door in front of him.
"It's done."
"Good. I hope there's something valuable inside."
Both of the thieves went downstairs to attempt to steal something. While that's happening, Jakki, who is witnessing this happening in his own home, is frightened by this.
"W-W-Why are bad people invading our homes again?"
This was the second time that Jakki and his family's home was invaded by thugs. He couldn't do anything but cower in fear when Clugil and his crew ransacked the place and took his sister as a hostage. He was defenseless. He didn't have the courage to save his own sister, to save his own mother.
"I...I need to tell mama and papa!"
Before he can, he pauses for a bit. He thought back to what Shouya had done and to what his father had done. They fought back to do what was right; they protected them because it was the right thing to do.
"N-No! I need to do this! Mister Shouya and papa fought the bad guys before. I...I don't wanna run anymore!"
Instead of running away to warn either Shouya or his parents, Jakki heads straight towards the danger to face his fears. He heads straight towards the door and goes down the narrow stairs as he follows the thugs behind them. He makes sure to keep his distance between him and the thugs so he doesn't get spotted.
Upon reaching the lower level, the two men stopped in the center of the dark room and surveyed the area to see something that was worth stealing. However, the room lacks any light to see anything in the room.
"Ugh, it's dark and muggy here. Turn on the light!"
"Quit your complaining, I'm already on it. Luckily you have a magic user with you, otherwise, you couldn't see anything here."
"Just light the room already!"
Sighed in annoyance, the cat-man snapped his finger and said "
Valun"
as he cast some sort of a small ball of light floating on top of his hand. The light illuminates the room and sees a number of items that are stored in this room.
As the light shines the room from darkness, the elf searches the room for something valuable.
"Hmm... Seeds, pots, food, and clay? Damn it, where are the goods? This room has nothing but worthless shit."
"Just relax. Maybe not in this room, but maybe upstairs."
"Ooh, maybe you're right. They are bound to have some really valuable shit there. And maybe we will kill this 'Gin' guy and the rest of his family."
"—!"
Jakki's expression becomes horrified when the brown-haired elf mentions that they're going to kill him and his family. Responding to what the elf had said, the cat-man hits him in the back of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You idiot! Have you forgotten? Darmac orders that he wants him alive, so you're not allowed to kill him. You may kill witnesses that stand in the way, but not him."
"That sucks... But what's the deal with this guy, anyway? He acts like he knows him somehow."
"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Right now, we're going as planned. The three simple steps Darmac gave us."
The cat-man raises his hand in front of the brown-haired elf before counting his fingers one-by-one, starting with his index finger.
"Step 1: Capture the man named Gin. He's our primary target. Step 2: We take him to our base and we show him to Darmac and the boss. And lastly, step 3: We burn this place down. No one will ever notice that we did it and it'll look like an accident. Taking what's valuable here are just bonuses so that we can sell them for a great number of ercos."
"Damn... His ideas are insane. Never thought that he would go that far just to bring one guy to him. Even going as far as killing the entire family."
"As much I hate to admit it, but that plan was indeed inhumane. I would have wished that there were no children involved in this. It goes against my creed."
"Oho? Having a soft spot for children? Never thought you were a parenting type. Got a child of your own? What's their name?"
"Just shut up. All's due when the mission is done. Anyways, I'm going to summon the oil here."
The cat-man made some strange hand gestures and he chanted
"Igzun Quynga".
Then, a bright purple circle casts in front of them, summoning two pairs of large wooden barrels that are filled with oil inside.
What they had said wasn't a lie; they were ill-intent to burn down the store along with the family—including Jakki, himself—that were inside. This was the plan that should not exist in the first place.
"—!!"
After hearing about their plan, Jakki, out of fear, accidentally drops his cup, splattering the milk all over on the stairs.
"What was that?"
"Eep!"
The sound of the cup crashing down the steps alerted the two thugs. He picked up the cup from the floor, but it was too late. They looked at where the source came from and they finally saw him.
"Damnit, we've been spotted! We gotta take him out, quick!"
"Hold it, Donga!"
Before, the brown-haired elf—whose name is apparently Donga—was about to take some sort of a dagger behind his back, but the cat-man stopped him from doing so.
"What the hell Korovin? The kid heard and saw us. He needs to be dealt with before he tells everyone."
"No. I've got a better solution."
The cat-man, whose name is Korovin, came up with a devious idea to resolve the situation. He leisurely walks towards the frightened child.
"You heard all of that, did you, boy?"
"..."
"How about we make a deal? But don't worry. This is a very simple task that you will do."
"A...a..."
Jakki is too hesitant to even say anything. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know if he can say anything. Compared to his encounter with Clugil, this is the most frightening moment for him, so frightening that he could wet his pants at any moment.
Korovin crouched down in front of the frightened child to his face level. Even though the room is too dark to see, Jakki can see the cat-man's neon green cat-like eyes.
"If you cooperate with us, I can assure you, you and your family will live."
"Hey, you can't just—"
But before Donga can continue to say anything, Korovin raises his hand at him, as if he's telling him
I'm not finished.
Then, he looks back at Jakki.
"But if you don't help us, then you, your family, and those who are close to you will die. So if you cooperate with us, I'm sure that any harm that involves you will be prevented."
"Y-You bad people already came to our home. W-W-Why do you want p-papa?"
"Oh, don't take us the wrong way. Sure they can be idiots, but we're not like those fools who came before us. They always use such disgusting words or use underhanded tricks that could ruin our reputation. As a result, he was dealt with some...punishments. So luckily for you, little child. You don't have to worry about them coming here. At least for now."
Despite that they're in the same group, Korovin dismisses Clugil and his gang as if they had nothing to do with them and they're not involved with this situation. Judging from what he had said, he can feel slightly relieved that some of his problems are dealt with. However...
"But as your father, well, we really need him to be in our base to meet with our leader."
"—Aah!"
He placed his sharp claws in front of Jakki's face, but only by a centimeter. With the tip of his claws, he caressed softly and slowly on Jakki's face; starting from the top of his muzzle, to the top of the forehead, then all the way down his throat, passing his cheek, and then coming up to the tip of his chin, as he closed in on Jakki's face with his soft and cold voice.
The feel of the cat-man's sharp claws touching his face and his voice resonating his ears sends a chill down his spine.
"But don't worry, little child. I'm not going to harm either you or your mother and sister. If you give us your father, we promise that we'll go away from here and lie to the Blue Sharks while your family can resume living a normal life without us bothering you."
Korovin is using fear to his advantage to convince Jakki to turn over his father to the Blue Sharks. If he does agree to this deal, they'll let his mother and sister live, but he'll be sacrificing his own father if he does so.
Jakki is just a small, young child; giving the choices to him gives him a sense of anxiety and fear that he doesn't know what to do anymore. He is just an eight-year-old boy and he couldn't tell the difference between what's right and what's wrong, so he has the right to be afraid. If he gave an answer to the person who asked him, he wouldn't know the outcome of the situation.
Korovin pulled back his own hand from Jakki's face and pulled the mask out from his face, revealing a snow white fur around his muzzle, and he gave a smile on his face, as if he was trying to be friendly with him—or at least acting like one.
"So, do we have an agreement?"
All of the courage that Jakki had built up previously has been dropped drastically. He had made a grave mistake by coming down and following them in the first place. If he had told his sister, or even his parents, that some strangers were about to do something awful, they would've bought it and driven them out of their home and kept their family safe. Instead, he did something reckless, and he regretted making that decision.
"I...I..."
"Gah!"
Out of nowhere, a flowerpot was thrown from behind Jakki and smashed onto Kotovn's head.
"Jakki, run!"
He listens to his sister and turns around to see his sister Gina and quickly runs up the stairs.
"You're not going anywhere, kid!"
While Korovin was stunned, the elf-man, Donga, chased towards the running child to attempt to capture him.
Jakki was halfway towards the exit to where his sister was. But before Jakki could run any further, he trips and collapses on the stairs. He felt something that was grabbing his leg. It was Donga who grabbed Jakki's leg to prevent him from running any further.
While he was grabbing Jakki's leg with one hand, he pulled out something from another. He pulled out a crowbar that was behind his back.
"You're mine!"
"No!"
To release from his grip, he had thrown the cup of milk that he was holding, which contained a little bit of milk lift, at the man who was holding his leg.
"Bwah!"
This causes Donga to let go of Jakki's leg as the milk has gotten to his eyes. Then, Jakki kicks him in the abdomen and sends him rolling down the stairs, colliding with Korovin and sending them down back to the basement.
"Jakki!"
He successfully reached the top of the stairs and both Jakki and Gina quickly closed the door in front of them.
"We gotta get mama and papa here, quick!"
"O-Okay!"
They quickly head towards the door to try to get their parents to fend off the thieves who tried to capture them. But before they could, a sharp blade broke through the door and the door started to break apart.
"You're not getting away that easily!"
"AAAAHHH!!"
Both of the children screamed by the top of their lungs as they saw the elf-man wielding an ax on his hand. Donga ran towards them and made a wide swinging arch to attempt to attack them, but both Jakki and Gina quickly dodged the attack and split up. He started to chase towards the boy who kicked him down the stairs, Jakki.
"I'm going to gut you up, boy!"
"Aahhh! Aahhh! Aahhh! AAAHHH!!"
Donga keeps on swinging his ax vigorously to try to cut Jakki, Jakki quickly dodges his attacks. With each and every swing he makes, he keeps on missing his target. Of course, due to Jakki's small appearance, he was faster and agile than his attacker.
"Stand still you damn runt! Haa!"
He continued to chase after Jakki until he quickly ran under the table before being swung by his ax. Even though he has managed to evade his attacks, however, it'll only hold him for a short time. He couldn't hide from him for long.
Jakki crawled to the second table before Donga destroyed the first table to clear his way. Then, he crawled to the third and final table before the second one got destroyed. He ended up in a dead end as the wall was obstructing his escape. Using his ax, Donga smashes the table away from him. Jakki was only left terrified
"Nowhere to go, kid."
"Leave my brother alone!"
As Donga was about to kill Jakki, Gina saved his life by throwing a flower pot at him and smashing it on his head. This gives Jakki enough time to escape, but before he can do that...
"Yaow!"
Donga cried out a yelp as the small child punched him between the legs. The punch was so hard that he was already on his knees, thriving in pain. They wanted to cheer themselves for a job well done, but it was too early to celebrate just yet.
"Aaahh!"
Suddenly, Korovin appears behind Gina and grabs her by the arm. Jakki shouts "Let her go!" as he tries to get him to let go of his sister by hitting him in his leg with his small hands, but he feels nothing. He kicks the child with the same leg and sends him crashing into the wall.
"Mama! Papa!"
"I apologize that we had to do this, but we had no other choice. So please, forgive our sins after we're done with this."
He made a light chop at the little girl's neck, causing him to knock her out in the process.
"You should've killed them, you know? They've seen our faces. They'll spill out information."
"Are you daft?! I do not kill children! That goes against my—"
"I don't care! I don't give a shit about your
creed
or whatnot, we cannot have any witnesses alive, even if they're just a bunch of dumb kids!"
Donga picks up the ax that he dropped from the floor and approaches the little boy with his ax in hand.
"This is what you get you damn brat!"
He raises his weapon over his head in front of the child. Then, in a large arch, he uses his ax to swing at the child going for the kill.
"Puah!"
But before he can, a large lavender-furred wolf-man punches him across the room, saving the little boy's life.
"Papa!"
"Are you okay Jakki?"
"Mhm. But Gina..."
He points at her and Gin looks at the cat-man Korovin who is holding the unconscious Sena. Meanwhile, Donga runs towards him as he prepares for an attack with his ax.
"You bastard! You'll pay for tha—"
Just before Donga can use his ax to attack Gin, without giving enough time to react, Gin gives a quick and heavy punch to the body and sends him flying through the glass of the window and lands on the streets of Vincilos.
"Get your hands off of my girl!"
"D-Damn it!"
Enraged, Gin runs towards the cat-man who is holding his daughter. Korovin attempts to escape to avoid conflict against him. However, his legs couldn't let him move.
"Wh-What the—? Let go of me!"
What weighed him down was Shouya holding down Korovin's leg, preventing him from escaping Gin's attack. Gin grabs Korovin's head as he lets go of Gina. Shouya was quickly able to catch her before her head collided with the wooden floor. He throws Korovin out the window as his body collides with Donga.
After he threw them out of the store, he looked at his daughter in Shouya's arms and kneels down in front of them.
"Gina..."
Worried about his daughter's health, Gin tried to call out her name to gain a response from her, but she didn't appear to open her eyes. Shouya placed his hand in front of her face and felt a warm breath breathing on his hand.
"She's fine. She's just knocked out, that's all."
Hearing that, this gives Gin a sigh of relief. However, he quickly looks back at the trespassers who are outside on the street.
"Take care of them for me."
"A...All right."
Even though Shouya acknowledges that he'll protect the kids, he can sense a cold air surrounding Gin as he looks at his enemies and walks towards them.
"Grr! Who do you think you are, you bastard? No matter. It's two of us against one of him. You're at a disadvantage! And hey, don't compare us to those stooges you fought before! We're five-times stronger than them."
Ignoring what Donga had said, Gin continued to walk towards the intruders as he hopped over the frame in front of him and landed on the shattered glass that is on the ground. Anyone would've been cautious on where they're stepping when they're barefooted, Gin, however, didn't feel any pain beneath the soles of his feet.
It could be that he is either null to the pain, or he is just too angry that he ignores the glass under him. Either way, he still sets his eyes on the two men in front of him.
"Well bring it on you mutt!"
With his ax dragging on the stone pavement, Donga runs straight into Gin as he prepares to attack him with a wide slash. Gin jumped over the attack and began to counterattack with a flying-spinning kick to his face.
"
Nue Guita!
"
"Wa—?!"
A pair of black chains appears behind Gin and attached to the ankles of his legs. He trips to the ground and begins to pull him into Korovin, who had cast the chains in front of him behind two magic circles floating in front of it. Gin tries to claw the ground to stop the movement, but the chains are too strong to slow him down.
Upon drawing closer to Korovin, Gin sees a loose brick on the ground. He picks up the brick and throws it at Korovin, hitting his right shoulder. It made the magical chains disappear, letting his legs free. Having freed himself from his bind, he decided to charge at the magic-user Korovin, who chanted "
Valun
" as several fireballs were thrown at him like missiles. Gin dodged most of them, but only to have the last three hit him directly.
"Gin!"
Shouya shouts out his name from inside the store, but he couldn't see him from the smoke, so he wasn't sure if Gin was alive or not.
"—!"
Suddenly, he emerged from the smoke with not a single scratch on him and ran full speed towards Korovin. He quickly shouts "
Redigar!
" as he casts a small magical barrier in between the both of them before Gin could even hit him. But Gin continues to push through.
"
Guyun Tatorra!
"
His fists started to glow a tint of orange as he called out a chant and the barrier started to break and went through the barrier. Korovin was flabbergasted that a single man broke through his magical barrier with his bare hands. Gin puts all his strength to his fist with all his might and punches Korovin in the solar plexus, sending him flying and crashing into a stand from a store, knocking him out.
"Damn you!"
Coming from behind Gin, Donga charges towards him with his ax to attempt to get a clean hit on him. Before he can, Gin caught the blade of the ax with his bare hands.
"Who sent you?"
"Why would you want to know that? You can find answers over my dead body!"
"Hmph! Fine, then. Then I'll have to do this.
Guyun Tatorra!
The next thing happened, Donga's ax shattered in front of him by Gin's imaginable strength. He was so strong that the ax broke into pieces with just his bare hands.
"What?!"
Bewildered by what had happened to his weapon, he is vulnerable for Gin to unleash his attack on him. Gin clasped his hands together and used his strength to make an uppercut, launching him into the air, sending him flying until he crashed back down to the ground.
He had defeated the two of them without leaving a single scratch. Compared to the fight that he had fought before, this one was the easiest. Probably it was either the fight that took place outdoors, or the enemies were easier to fight against. Either way, he had managed to save his family again.
Gin approached the fallen Donga who was laying on the stone pavement and grabbed him by the collar of his tunic.
"Wait wait wait! Don't kill me! I was doing what I was told! I have no intention to kill anyone, I was in it just for the money! If you have a problem with that, take it to the boss, it was his idea! But please, spare me!"
"Tell this to your boss that if he comes and hurts my family, I'll come and hunt him down."
"You don't have to, 'cus he's already here!"
A loud booming voice echoed in their ears as they responded to what Gin was saying. He looks up to see a cerulean blue wolf-man at the rooftop of the building.
"—! Is that—"
"Ura!"
Before Gin could continue with what he wants to say, the blue wolf-man jumps off of the rooftop and heads towards the two men with a winding punch. Gin quickly dodged before he could hit him, so instead, the blue wolf-man punched the ground with full force.
The punch was so strong that it left a large crater in the middle of the street. They could even feel the earth moving.
"Bwah!"
Shouya cried out as he and the kids took cover from the debris scattered around them. This powerful foe is a force to be reckoned with.
The blue wolf-man darted his eyes at Gin and gave a wide grin to him. However, Gin's face says the opposite as he gave a cautious look to someone with whom he was familiar.
"Darmac..."
"It's been a while, hasn't it... Ginny?"
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
After Both Shouya and Alisa introduced themselves, they talked to each other about their daily lives; their hobbies, their likes, everything they ever talked about. Although, being that Shouya is from a different world from this one, Alisa doesn't understand what Shouya was talking about and she decides to laugh it off as a made up story.
After a short while, they heard a low growling noise. Alisa covered her mouth and let out a small chuckle.
"I guess you are hungry, aren't you?"
"Y-Yeah, I guess so."
Just after Shouya timidly answered Alisa's question, there was another growling noise. This time, it came from Alisa's stomach.
"But I guess it's not just me who is hungry."
"You're probably right."
"
Do you guys serve food here?"
"Of course! Here, I'll take you to the cafeteria."
From there, Alisa begins to guide Shouya from the room. They toured across the hall and passed a couple of doors behind them and down the steps. Then they have entered a huge room with multiple empty tables scattered across the room.
Alisa spreads her left arm towards the large room as she presents it to Shouya.
"Here it is! This is the cafeteria. We're about to prepare breakfast in the back, so do you mind waiting here? We're about to make our breakfast special"
"Oh, sure. But what is 'breakfast special'?"
"You'll just have to find out."
Alisa winks her right eye as she heads towards the kitchen to make breakfast for both her and Shouya. While he waits for Alisa, Shouya sits down at the nearest empty table close to him as he looks around the cafeteria around him. Although the tables were set up, not a single person is in the room, the only people here are both Shouya and Alisa.
Was it probably because everyone is still sleeping that it's too early to wake up? I guess that makes sense. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't even know what time it is.
Does this world have the same time system like in his world, or this world has a different time system that is unfamiliar to him? Shouya couldn't tell from his own assumptions, but he assumes that would be the case. He reaches down to his pocket and notices that something was wrong.
"Huh? My phone...it's gone?! I could've sworn I had it with me."
Shouya searched both of his front and back pockets to search for his phone, but it was nowhere to be found. However, he feels a rough lump inside his pocket. To his surprise, it was his wallet that actually traveled with him in this new world. His wallet is his only means of survival. Without it, he can't pay for food, clothes, or a place to stay.
"Oh, my wallet. Glad I still have it with me. Actually, I wonder how the currency system works in this world, too. Is it the same back in my world? Would've wanted to find out."
He takes out his wallet from his pocket and looks inside to see if the contents are intact. However, Shouya gave a surprised "what the?!" as he found that it is not regular money, but rather a bundle of gold coins inside. Not only his money changed shape, but his wallet changed, as well. It was once a modern foldable wallet that he used from his world, now it's a small hand-size brown bag.
Shouya's wallet used to contain an assortment of coins and a large amount of money—twenty-eight hundred yen—as currency in his world. Somehow in this world, his wallet contains an assortment of thirty-nine gold coins.
The idea of converting his money from his own world into this world's currency is rather strange, but it is also very useful to him. But who would do such a thing? Who would go on their way to transform his money into coins without Shouya's permission?
"Oho! Who do we have here?"
Shouya's ears folded back as the booming, loud voice broke the room's silence. He tries to find out where the source was coming from. Then, he turns around and he sees a tall, muscular-built man in his early-to-mid forties with dreadlocks on his hair in front of him. But unlike both Shouya and Alisa, whose appearance is based on anthropomorphic animals, he appears to look like a regular human. However, he also has wolf-like ears and a tail just like Shouya.
Shouya, astonished by man's large, physique appearance, asks the braided wolf-human.
"W-Who are you?"
"Who, me? The name's Gunther, I'm the owner of this inn."
"Ah, so you're the owner."
Holy crap, you're huge!
As if Shouya wanted to say but couldn't get it out as he didn't expect that he would meet the owner himself face-to-face.
Gunther sat on the chair right next to Shouya and started a conversation with him.
"So what does a kid like you doing up early in the morning?"
"Well..."
But before Shouya can say anything, his stomach growls loudly. He was lucky that his stomach reminded him. Otherwise, he would be leaving this place without getting a chance to eat and he would die from hunger.
Gunther made a chuckle as he began to understand why Shouya was in the cafeteria in the first place.
"Well, that answers my question."
"Guess you're also here for the breakfast special, aren't you?"
"That's what Alisa-san just told me before I went to the kitchen to make it."
"Really now? I was wondering where she went. Taking care of your old man, huh, Alisa?"
"How so?"
As Shouya asks him a question on what he was talking about, Gunther stares into space as he takes a trip down memory lane.
"Well, I've been working here as long as I can remember. When I first met her, she was just a little pup back then. She told me that her parents weren't around anymore, so I decided to take her in and hire her. From then on, she brought joy and happiness, and even made friends with everyone around in this place. It brings a tear to my eye."
"So she's like the daughter you never had, huh?"
"And here I thought I was the only person who makes jokes around here."
Gunther made a hearty laugh as he thought Shouya made a joke.
It seems that Shouya has figured out that both Gunther and Alisa are not blood related, but took care of her and adopted her like a stray dog on the street. He couldn't imagine what would happen if no one took her in and left her on the street.
It's a good thing she is lucky to have someone who actually cares for her; Shouya could not imagine if someone didn't find her. He could not help but feel sympathy for her, but...
"I'm back!"
Before both Shouya and Gunther continued the conversation, Alisa's voice rang as she came out from the kitchen.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Oh, good morning, Gunther. I didn't know you were here with him."
"Your friend and I are having a little conversation. I like him, he ain't that bad of a kid after all."
"Kid? I'm actually seventeen years old."
"Well you do look like a kid from where I'm seeing, but I guess my eyes are failing me."
"Well, I'm actually turning eighteen in a couple of weeks, so I can see why there's a small difference."
"How about I'll give you a drink tonight? It's on the house."
"N-No thanks. I don't drink alcohol."
"You're being responsible, I like that."
Choosing to decline the offer was the right thing to do. What kind of a person would ever ask Shouya—a minor—to accept that kind of offer? Any adult would've known this by now. Is the age limit to drink different in this world?
Shouya had just remembered something and looked at Alisa.
"That reminds me. How did it go on your end, Alisa-san?"
"You'll quite like this."
Alisa claps her hands twice and shows him the big reveal. What came out of the kitchen is a cat-eared man pushing a cart of large variety types of breakfast to choose from; pancakes, eggs, toast, and even bacon. There's no doubt about it, food in this world is indeed similar to the food in his world.
Shouya can do nothing but look at the food with sparkles in his eyes as the food comes closer and stops right beside Shouya's table. The food just looks so mouth watering that he just wants to eat it whole.
The man placed the plate of food on the table and both Alisa and Gunther sat on their chairs next to Shouya.
The three of them placed their hands together and said "Thank you for the meal." before they begin to eat their morning breakfast.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"Hey, that
is
a funny story!"
Gunther bawled with laughter and slapped his own knee, as if he heard a hilarious joke.
Some time has passed since the three of them had begun eating their breakfast. Both Alisa and Gunther had already finished their food and Shouya had just started drinking his glass of milk. Of course, he nearly spat out because Alisa had told Gunther about the conversation that Shouya and Alisa had back in his room.
Like Alisa, Gunther did not believe what Shouya said and laughed it off. No matter how hard someone tries to tell the same story to someone, no one would ever believe in Shouya's make-believe story.
"Th-That could be true, you know."
"Listen, there's no such thing as 'another world'. It's just mumbo jumbo that elves would've made up."
"Elves...?"
Shouya murmured to himself as he did not expect to hear that elves actually existed in this world.
The Elf race are basically the typical, run-in-the-mill race of demi-humans that appears in every video game, anime, and light novel. They take the form of a regular human, except they have long, pointy ears, and they mostly live in forests as their preferred living habitat. They are also known as the archer class, honing their skills from generation to generation.
Since Shouya has been transported to a fantasy world, he'll hopefully get to see one in person soon.
"Anyways, I guess I should open this place soon."
"I'll help out."
Just as Gunther got up from the table, Alisa does the same and follows behind Gunther.
Now that I think about it, I don't even know where this place is. If I'm in an inn, then I must be in a village. But this place has a high-quality city feel to them, so there's no way I'm in a village. A city, maybe?
Shouya could not figure out where in the world he was. A town? Or maybe a city? He tries to guess based on the inn's structure, but no matter how hard he tries, he does not have a clue where he is.
Shouya drank his last sip of milk before he got up from the table.
"I think I should head out, but I really don't know where the exit is."
"Well would you like to come with us? I was just about to open the doors."
"Yeah, sure."
Shouya agrees and decides to follow both Gunther and Alisa. From there, the three of them walked from the cafeteria and into the main hall.
The hall's structure is very large compared to the second floor narrow and linear hallway, and the place is decorated with medieval-esque antiques hanging on the walls, such as a large clock, some severed animal heads, and even weapons such as shields and twin axes.
This is the first time that Shouya has seen something like this in person. He often sees it as background in every video game. They're sometimes used for secret passages for hidden rewards, intel on the weapon's lore, or serve no purpose to the story. Seeing this first hand makes the world feel alive.
Shouya, Alisa, and Gunther walked up to the nearest door right in front of them, and Gunther picked a key from his pocket, inserted the key and turned it, making a clicking sound.
"I've been meaning to ask, What city are we in?"
"We're
in a city called Vincilos. One of the greatest cities in the world. Why'd you ask?"
"Honestly, I don't know anything about this place. So I was wondering if you guys have any history here."
As Alisa was puzzled why Shouya suddenly asked that question, he did bring up a good point. Having no knowledge of this city's history and lore, and having that he'd just been transported into another world, it would make sense for Shouya to ask either Alisa or Gunther for information about this city—Vincilos.
While Shouya found out the name of the location, Gunther broke out a laugh.
"You're very lucky to have me around. I've been here for more than twenty years or so. So if you're asking for locations that I know, I'm your man."
"Too bad for a man who's been here so long that his brain is starting to age fast."
"Oh c'mon, don't diss your old man like that."
"Gwah! Okay! I give, I give!"
Gunther playfully pats Alisa's fluffy, orange head with his huge hand. He patted her head so hard that it might explode at any moment. Luckily for her, it was a sign of affection. She is lucky to have someone to love and care for her.
Shouya gave a dry laugh at the situation between the two.
"Anyways, I'm interested to see what the city looks like."
"Well you're in luck, because this place is now open for business."
From there, Gunther pushes the wooden door in front of him. A bright light begins to shine and enters the hall of the inn.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
It is truly a rare sight to see; it is so surreal that Shouya could not believe it. From the other side of the door, he can see a lot of people from different races of demi-humans passing by: dog-humans, cat-humans, elves, and even beast-humans that almost look just like Shouya and Alisa. He also saw some unfamiliar races that he has never seen before, such as the lizardmen and bird-people roaming on the streets.
Shouya was astonished when he saw how beautiful this city was around him. He even turns around to see a large number of buildings below him. And at the end of the city is the large, beautiful blue ocean.
This place is, indeed, a sight to remember.
"How do you like it?"
"I can see why you said 'it's one of the best.'"
He can't take his eyes off at the awe-inspiring landscape. The city almost resembles an old landmark that he learned back in his own world. Man-made stone buildings, a shopping district, and he can even see some boats floating on the ocean from the distance. This is something that Shouya has never seen before, and yet, this city is eye-catching.
"This city is really gorgeous. It's like you really...don't want to...leave here."
But as Shouya wanted to look a little more from the view, he collapsed on his knees as if gravity was pulling him in.
"Ah, Shouya! Are you okay?"
"This place...is so hot..."
His body is heavy, his blood is boiling, and his sweat is starting to fall out of his body. The heatwave is so strong that Shouya is unable to stand at this point. Shouya lays on the floor panting as he tries to beg someone to give him something to cool him off.
Alisa tries to fan Shouya with her hand, it is still not enough to cool him off.
"Stand back! This will help you right away!"
"Pwah!"
It was until Shouya's body was hit with a pound of water splashed on top of him. Person who poured it on him is none other than Gunther. He was carrying a large wooden barrel on his shoulder; the water probably came from the barrel that he was holding. But since he used it to cool off Shouya, it is now just a regular, empty barrel.
It was enough to cool him off and he was relieved that his life was saved by the large beast-human. Without his help, Shouya would have died from the heat and he would've really been sent to another world—in other words, Heaven.
Shouya had just been transported into this world and did not know anything about this city, so he has no way of knowing how hot the city really is. What's worse is that when he first entered into this world, his body had transformed into a human-like wolf with fur around his body. The fur around him made Shouya twice as hot. A mixture of heat and fur is not a very good combination.
"You're a lifesaver. I almost died if you hadn't saved me."
Shouya, now-drenched in water, thanks Gunther as he carries Shouya on his shoulder and brings him back to his inn.
"You don't have to thank me. I came to help a friend in need."
"A friend? But I just met you."
"That's right. That's because everyone here is my friend, including you."
"So basically, you are befriending me, even though you've just met me?"
"Exactly!"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
Shouya exclaimed how nonsense that logic was and Gunther roared out a laughter. Gunther placed Shouya on a chair while Alisa placed two glasses of water on the table in front of him.
"T-Thanks."
With all the heat still inside Shouya, he couldn't help it but take a sip of a glass of water and drink it. Then as Shouya was drinking, he started to notice something from the glass. Alisa slightly tilted her head as he was puzzled by Shouya's reaction.
"Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing. I wonder how the water is still freezing cold without any ice in it?"
When Shouya took a sip of the glass, the water felt like the temperature was cold. However, there wasn't any ice in it. How did they serve a cold glass of water without any ice in it?
"Now that I think about it, how is this inn cold while it is hot outside?"
When Shouya first entered this world, he didn't think about what was cooling him off in the first place. The inn would've been hot at the same time he got into this world. Strangely enough, that did not happen.
Shouya would've thought that there was an air conditioner or something that keeps the inn cool, but that was out of the question. He could not see a single piece of modern technology that is present in this world. What was cooling this place? How did they manage it?
"Oh, haven't you noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
As Shouya questions what Alisa was talking about, she puts her hand in her apron pocket and goes through what she is searching for. Gunther, too, searches for something from his pocket as well. Shouya quiescently tilted his head to the side to find out what they could be searching for.
They took out their hand from their pocket and showed it to Shouya. He sees a couple of diamond-shaped crystals glowing blue and green from the palms of their hands. Shouya's eyes widened in amazement to see the crystals glow beautifully.
"These here are Magi-gems."
"Magi-gems?"
"Mm-hm. They're crystals that you can cast different types of elemental magic. They're very common here in Vincilos. Each Magi-gem has a color that represents their element. Red is fire. Blue is water. Green is wind. Brown is earth. Yellow is light. And purple is darkness. What you're seeing here is the Element of Water and the Element of Wind. Pretty basic."
"Ah— I see..."
So they are basically special magic items.
He was very familiar with these basic items by playing an RPG (Role Playing Game) back in his own world. They are items that helps the main character that is in a tough situation, like potions if you are running out of HP (Health Points), or elixirs if you are running out of MP (Mana Points).
With the Magi-gems in hand, Alisa went on explaining, "Unlike mages, who use mana to cast a spell, Magi-gems don't need mana. You can just cast a spell any time you want, and anyone can use them. The best part about them is that you can mix them up. That is how we mixed both water and wind Magi-gems to make cool water."
Even without technology, they find a way to survive by using Magi-gems. And judging by its size, it can fit in a pocket so they can bring it on the go. It is indeed a handy item to have at their disposal.
"So you can use them as many times as you like, right?"
"That's not entirely true."
Gunther, who was listening to the lesson the entire time, spoke up and replied to Shouya. Alisa nodded to agree with Gunther's statements.
"He's right. The downside to these things is how many times you can use it. Magi-gems are limited to how much you've used it up. If they have no color, then that means you can't use them anymore. We even have to replace them every once a week for a new one."
Replacing the Magi-gems with new ones every week can be a hassle because they would have to spend money every week to get new Magi-gems. It is basically like changing batteries for a remote control and replacing it with new ones.
"But can you charge the crystals?"
"You could. However, they can only be recharged if they meet certain conditions."
"'What are the conditions?"
"It depends on what the elements are based on. For example: if you want to recharge the Magi-gem of Fire, you need to heat it up where the temperature is hot, like, hold it on top of a fireplace, or throw it into a volcano and it will recharge it instantly."
"But how on earth are you going to get it back?!"
Ignoring Shouya's exclaim, she continued, "For Magi-gem of Water, you need to cool it where the temperature is cold, like, put it in cold water or in a freezer for a long time. For Magi-gem of Wind, you need to blow it with air. For Magi-gem of Earth, you need to put it with dirt. For Magi-gem of Light, you need to place it in direct sunlight. And lastly, for Magi-gem of Darkness, you need to put it where the light can't contact it."
Alisa has explained the guide on how Magi-gems actually work. It was a lot of information to take in, but Shouya got it handled quite well. Shouya now knows the layouts of what Magi-gems can and cannot do. It was the simplest piece of information that he had learned.
As Shouya now understands how Magi-gem works in this world, Alisa claps her hands together as she ends her explanation.
"And that concludes what I've said so far. Got any questions?"
With the explanation of how Magi-gems finished, Alisa asks if Shouya wants to know more about the gems. But before he can ask her a question, Gunther raises his hand before Shouya does. Why would he ask if he already knew how it works? Is it something that Alisa left out?
"There's something I've been meaning to ask."
"What is it?"
Gunther looks at Shouya with his sapphire blue eyes and he points his finger at him with a puzzled look on his face.
"What
are
you wearing?"
"—Ah!"
This is something that Shouya hasn't noticed before. Unlike the clothings that both Alisa and Gunther wore, Shouya wears a cyan-blue school uniform with white highlights from his world. He hadn't realized that he is wearing clothes from his world to a world that is different from his until Gunther pointed out just now.
He recalled when he came out of the inn and saw the city for the first time, he saw a lot of people wearing medieval-like clothes that he had never seen before. He remembered seeing people wearing iron-plated armor, some of them wore robes covered from head to toe, and some of them were wearing different kinds of tunics.
Compared to Shouya's modern clothing from his world and this world's medieval-like clothing, this makes him stand out the most.
In response to Gunther's question, Shouya answers him as he already knows what it is.
"It's my school uniform."
"A school uniform? I've never seen a scholar wear clothing like that before."
"I heard that there's a school in the far east that wears a uniform that is similar to the one he is wearing. That could be the case."
Just as Alisa strokes her chin with her fingers, Gunther nods in agreement.
"Yeah, I guess that's true. But why are you wearing such heavy clothing in a hot place like Vincilos? You'll suffocate if you're gonna keep wearing that outside."
"I don't know about it myself, honestly."
Ever since Shouya got into this world, both his appearances and his money have changed drastically. The only thing that did not change was his clothing. Why did Shouya's clothes remain the same? Shouldn't it change into this world's clothing as well?
As Gunther stated, wearing heavy clothing in hot weather is dangerous. If he is not careful enough, he will possibly be dealing with Death himself.
"Why not wrap the jacket around your waist?"
As Gunther offered Shouya a suggestion, Alisa snapped her fingers at Gunther's brilliant and smart idea.
"Why didn't I think of that? Why not do that for the time being? You'll be more comfortable that way."
"I guess that'll work."
Shouya begins to unbutton and take off his jacket, revealing a plain, white T-shirt on him. Then he grabs the sleeves of his jacket, wraps it around his waist, and ties it, making it into a knot. He tightened the sleeves and let go of them, letting them dangle on his waist.
The jacket obscures the view of his tail, but nonetheless, Shouya feels a little relieved to get some of the heat off of him.
"This should do it, I guess."
"Oh, and take these with you on the way."
Gunther reached out his hand to Shouya to show him two colored Magi-gems—green and blue—from his hand.
"A-Are you sure? But what about your business? Don't you need them to keep your place cool?"
"Don't you worry about me. We have more in the back just in case. Besides, you won't know when you need them the most. 'My friends come first before myself' as they say."
"You really think of me as a friend?"
"Of course I do."
That still doesn't make any sense!
Shouya wanted to scream at Gunther, but he kept it to himself.
But Shouya was hesitant to believe that what Gunther said was true. Why would he go through on helping Shouya, even if he does not know anything about him? It's like he does not have a care in the world to know about others.
Shouya sighs and decides to accept Gunther's offer as he grabs the two Magi-gems and puts them in his pocket. Even though what Gunther said is nonsense, at least he gave Shouya something that is useful. But Shouya does not care. All that matters is if he can successfully survive in this world and return to his own world with his own body, he can finally live a peaceful normal life.
Just as after Gunther gave the Magi-gems to Shouya, Alisa clapped her hands together to grab their attention.
"Now then, shall we head off?"
"To where? And what do you mean 'we?'"
"Well, you and me, of course."
"Wait, why?"
"Obviously you need some help to pick out some clothes for you. You wouldn't want to wear that forever, would you?"
Looking at himself and compared to the other people he saw, Alisa does indeed have a point. He may have taken off his jacket, but it is not enough to cool him down. He has to find a new set of clothes that feels comfortable in the hot weather. On top of that, he needs to wear this world's clothes so that he can blend with the people in this world. If he keeps wearing the school uniform in this world, it would make him feel out of place.
"I guess you're right."
Shouya has no choice but to accept Alisa's assistance. Alisa's cheery voice rang around the empty cafeteria.
"Alright, let's head out!"
"You seemed excited about it."
"Well not every day you get to go somewhere with someone by your side. Gunther and I usually go out to do errands and get some supplies for the inn, but we do sometimes take time off from work and enjoy ourselves. Anyways, let's go! See you later, boss man!"
Alisa held Shouya's hand and both of them exited the cafeteria. Gunther waves goodbye as he sees them leaving from his sights. As both of them left, he sighs.
"That girl. What am I going to do with you?"
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
Both Shouya and Alisa began walking along through the crowd of demi-humans around them. Some people walk on foot while others ride on wooden carriages with different shapes and sizes being pulled by either large lizards or a pack of dogs. He sees them being used for transporting civilians or valuable goods from one location to the next.
Seeing different races passing by and how unique this world is made Shouya's eyes widened in spectacular as he was filled with wonder and excitement.
"Wow. This is a pretty nice city. I never imagined that I would get to see a city as amazing as this, Alisa-san"
"It sure is. This city is well known for its beautiful scenery. When I wake up in the morning, I look out the window and say 'Good morning world! Another brand new day for work, isn't it? Sounds to me like this is your first time here."
"Well I haven't been outside of my country before, so this is all new to me."
Other than traveling to different regions of Japan, Shouya had never visited any foreign countries of the world before. It was not because he didn't want to go to another country, it was due to the fact that his family was too busy with their jobs that they didn't have time to do other stuff. His family works very hard and they don't get paid much, so Shouya gets paid very little from his allowance and often saves his money for stuff he wants.
"I can see why just by saying that word."
"What word?"
"That word, 'san'. What does it mean?"
"Ah—"
Not realizing it until now, Shouya has been using honorifics ever since he came into this world. This puts him in an awkward situation.
In the Japanese language, similar to "mister" or "missus" back in his world, someone would often call them "san", "chan", "sama", "kun", "dono", or "sensei", depending on who you are talking to. It is a suffix that represents that person's rank and status, and it is also a sign of respect and the relationship to that person.
However, this is not Japan, this is a whole new world that Shouya is unfamiliar with, so using Japanese honorifics in this world would be out of place.
"I-It's something that we say back in my country. But if it's that annoying, I can stop saying it if you like."
"Oh no, I don't mind it. I've never heard of it before, but it's kinda a cute nickname, actually."
Alisa shakes her hand at Shouya as she thinks calling her "san" is cute.
What's so cute about an honorific?
is what Shouya would've asked her, but he kept that question to himself.
"Hey, how about I give you one as well?"
"You don't really have to."
"Come on, it'll be a cool one. Pretty please?"
Shouya looks at the poor fox-girl's expression as she is pleading to him that she wants to give him a nickname for him. She is like a child who really wants a new toy so bad that they begged their parents to buy one for them.
Shouya couldn't help it but to give in.
"If that is what you want, I suppose I'll let you nickname me."
Alisa gave a cheerful "yay" to express her joy that she get to nickname Shouya. He had never seen her this happy before, probably he had managed to make someone happy for the first time in his life. Shouya can do nothing but hold back a smile.
Alisa places her hand on the cheek and taps the temple with her finger, trying to think of a good nickname for Shouya. Then she snapped her fingers as she had found a nickname to give to Shouya.
"Oh, I know! How about I'll call you 'Sho', if it's okay with you?"
"I don't mind it, actually."
"Alright then, Sho it is! Let's go Sho!"
After Alisa had given Shouya a nickname, they continued to walk down the streets of Vincilos. Then, they have arrived at the city's main source of income; the shopping district. The place is filled with people that are selling goods from the stands, like; food, jewelry, furniture, and even Magi-gems are being sold to customers.
Shouya recalled that Alisa said that Magi-gems are very common in this city. She wasn't lying, there are some stands selling Magi-gems at an affordable price. However, Shouya could not read the words that were written on the sign. Probably because there is a huge language barrier between his previous world and this world. That's why he couldn't understand it. Living in a world without any knowledge about this world's language just makes it more difficult than he thought.
"Looks like we're here."
Upon arriving at their destination, Alisa announces the location and Shouya looks up to see the sign above him. Although he couldn't read what it said, he could see the familiar picture right next to it.
"Is this a..."
Tailor?
That is what Shouya wanted to say. Next to him, he sees a pair of mannequins wearing bright colored clothes behind the glass window. If this is a tailor store,
then there have to be clothes inside there.
But Shouya ponders as he is not sure how much it would cost for a piece of clothing.
He had been to the tailor store several times to buy materials for his cosplay for the convention. But now that Shouya is stuck in this world, his dream to go to the convention becomes wasted, and his opportunity to meet the boy and tell him the truth can never come true.
As Shouya thought about it for a while, Alisa called out to him.
"Hey, why are you standing around for Sho? First time?"
"No. I've been to these kinds of stores a couple of times."
Well...not anymore now that I'm stuck here.
Both Shouya and Alisa enter the store and see a line of colorful clothes and material hanging on the side of the walls. He was blown back to see how many clothes he had never seen before. To Alisa, it was no surprise, but to Shouya, however, this is brand new to him.
"—Ah, welcome!"
The voice comes from a rack of clothes that was in front of them. There is a man in his late-twenties and his appearance is similar to Gunther. However, unlike Gunther, whose appearance closely resembles a dog with only dog ears and a tail, the man has cat ears on top of his head and tail that resembles a cat.
"Is there something I can help you with today?"
"I was hoping that you have some clothes for my friend here."
"Alright, let me take a look at him, shall we?
The cat-eared man begins to reach down to his own pocket and takes out a small, hand-size measuring tape and begins to measure Shouya's body.
Why am I getting the sense of deja vu?
Shouya recalled not too long ago, the boy from his school checked his body to figure out what was going on with him. The cat-eared human is doing the same thing, except he is checking out Shouya's body to figure out his size and length.
The man measures around Shouya's waist, his neck, he measures Shouya's body from head-to-toe. While at the same time, he takes out a flipbook and a pencil and takes notes on Shouya's size and height.
Alisa, on the other hand, looks around the store to see the various, colorful clothes that are hanging in the shop.
The cat-human retracts measuring tape and rolls it up, declaring that he has finished measuring Shouya's body.
"Alright, I'm all done! I think I have some clothes that might fit you. You can wait for me in the fitting room if you like. I'll bring them to you right away."
After he instructs Shouya to wait for his clothes to be brought, he begins to search what Shouya is going to wear. Shouya walks over to the fitting room as he suggested.
Alisa approaches Shouya while he waits for the cat-eared man to bring the clothes to him.
"I hope it looks pretty."
"Yeah... Say, are you going to wear that?"
Shouya looks down and sees Alisa holding a short, amber-colored dress in her hands. The dress that she picked looked like she is ready to go out to a ball.
"Well I was going to try it out and see if it fits me, and I was wondering if I can get your opinion on it."
"It does look good on you."
"You really think so? I mean, my only complaint is that I don't really like the color, but I can't help it but love the design."
Hearing Shouya's opinion gives Alisa a joyful smile on her face as she chatters to herself about the dress.
After ten minutes of waiting, the cat-eared human returned to Shouya and Alisa with a couple of clothes in his hands.
"Alright, I've found a couple of clothes that you may like. It's not much, but it's all I have. Care to try some on?"
"S-Sure."
He hands Shouya four different kinds of clothing that he is going to wear. Shouya heads towards one of the rooms, and he locks the door from the inside. He placed the clothes separately on a bench in front of him, dividing them into four sets.
Shouya thinks to himself as he is trying to think about what clothes he is going to wear.
Hmm, they all looked pretty good, and very colorful, too. But, I don't know what I am going to wear.
This is a difficult decision for Shouya; the clothes that the cat-human picked out four sets of clothing for him are not familiar to his knowledge. He would've asked the man to singly give him different clothing one by one, but it's already too late for it.
He looked at the first set. The first set has a green t-shirt with brown pants and brown boots.
This is like something that a military would wear. Almost everything is green, kinda like camouflage. Huh, weird...
Similar to military clothing back in his old world, they are usually used at boot camps to train people to become soldiers. After boot camp, they were given uniforms to match the environments. Of course, Shouya has seen this when he was watching anime, even movies that involve military stuff. He wanted to be strong just like them. However, he has no intention to work for the military anytime soon—or possibly, never.
Shouya turns his eyes and moves on to the second set of clothes. The second set has a short, orange t-shirt and brown shorts, along with toeless shoes and a red scarf as an accessory.
It's a decent set, great for hot weather. I'm not a fan of shorts, but the shirt is okay, and the shoes? Ah, now that I think about it, most people I see in this world walk around almost barefooted. The reason being is that the claws on their toes would just rip the fabric. So it makes sense why they go around barefooted. But is the scarf really necessary? Actually, I don't want to answer that.
Ignoring the small detail, he shakes his head and he moves on with the third set. The third set has a long-sleeved, dark-blue shirt with white highlights, gray pants and a pair of black shoes.
The design of it looks really good. It's normal, it's casual, and it almost looks similar to my school uniform. Well, 'similar' isn't the right word I would phrase it. It almost feels like I'm back home. But still, I kind of like it.
Unlike the last two sets, Shouya somewhat actually likes the third set. Based on his expression, it is most likely this set may be his best choice.
He then moves on to the fourth and last set. And from there, he sees a set that has a long, red jacket, long khaki pants, and pairs of iron-plated boots. However, Shouya gave an odd sour face as if to say
What the heck is this?
I'm not going to wear that. Not only does it look heavy, but it looks so flashy—no, too flashy. Not to mention that it's so expensive. There is no way I'm going to wear that.
Without even trying on the outfit, Shouya chooses not to use the fourth set and moves it to the side, ignoring its existence. He is now left with only three sets of clothing. Shouya is now in deep thought about what he will wear in public.
Alright, I guess three of them are enough. All of them are nice, and I can easily fit in with everyone. But it's kinda hard to choose which one. Ugh, think Shouya, think.
"Are you alright in there?"
Shouya was so focused on what to wear that he had forgotten that he was still in the room for a while, and by the sound of the voice on what he heard, the cat-eared man was concerned about what might have happened to Shouya.
Shouya stopped thinking and responds to the cat-eared man with "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking."
"Alright, just making sure. Did you find what you are going to wear?"
"Actually, I have."
Shouya has an idea that he has not thought of before, and with that, he now knows what clothes he is going to wear.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"Ok, I'm ready!"
Shouya announces from the room, declaring that he has chosen what he is going to wear. He opens the door and sees both Alisa and the cat-eared man from the other side with their eyes widened in awe. Not only Shouya wears one set, but all three sets combined.
He wears a dark blue shirt, and under the jacket is the green t-shirt from the first set. From the waist down, he wears gray pants that were also from the third set and the pair of toeless shoes that were from the second set.
It is a perfect balance between his casual clothes that he used to back from his old world and this world's medieval clothing, making it easier to blend in with the crowd.
Alisa highly admires Shouya's new appearance as she was astonished by how he looks.
"Wow, Shouya. You look really nice."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah, you almost look like an adventurer."
"'Almost'? What does that supposed to mean?!"
As Shouya tries to figure out what Alisa just said, she closes one eye and sticks out her tongue as if she is saying
That's a secret.
Meanwhile, the cat-eared human broke up the conversation between the two and asks Shouya a question.
"How do you like them? Would you like to purchase them?"
"Yeah, I would like to."
With Shouya's decision to buy the clothes he wanted, he is ready to pay with the money that he was given in this world as the cat-human leads Shouya to the register. The cat-eared human begins to tap the buttons on the register to calculate the total on how much the clothes cost.
"Alright, the total for the clothes is forty-five ercos."
"'Ercos'? —Wait, forty-five?!"
Shouya was shocked and his eyes went wide when he heard the total price for the clothes. He looked at the register to make sure the man was not mistaken and the numbers were miscalculated. But he wasn't wrong. The number on top of the register shows the number "45" on it.
Oh, I guess he's right.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well, all I have with me is this much."
Shouya shows all of the money he has on the counter and the cat-eared man begins to count how many that Shouya has. He was given thirty-nine gold coins—or in this world, the currency is called "ercos"—when he first entered this world. If the clothes really do cost forty five ercos, then that means Shouya is six coins short. It isn't enough to pay for the clothes he needed.
"Isn't there a cheaper way?"
The cat-eared human thinks if there is another way to lower the price of the clothes. Shouya can try negotiating with him to lower the price, but he has no experience with that kind of skill. Then he let out a suggestion to the worry-felt Shouya.
"Why don't we trade? We'll work something out."
"—Ah!
Actually, that's not a bad idea! Trading could work in situations like this. I guess we could try.
Trading is usually uncommon in a fantasy game. Both the buyer and the seller would trade items with each other until both parties are satisfied.
"What do you want from me?"
"Well, you can always trade in that."
The cat-eared man pointed at something Shouya was holding. It was Shouya's school uniform from his old world.
"You mean this?"
"Mind if I take a look at it?"
"Oh, sure."
Following the cat-human's request, Shouya places his uniform on top of the counter next to the register. The man begins to investigate the layout of the clothes Shouya used to wear and feels the fabric of the clothes with his hands.
"It is rare to see clothes like this before. You mostly see these kinds of clothes in Miraziva."
"'Miraziva'? Is that the name of the city in the far east?"
"Yes. It is also called the City of Knowledge. That's where these clothes came from."
"Is that so?"
Shouya recalled back in the inn with Alisa and Gunther, she mentioned that many students from the far east wear the same clothes that Shouya wore. He now understands where it originated.
The City of Knowledge?
Maybe that's my key to get out of this place.
If the city is called what it truly is, then that place must know how to transport Shouya back to his own world and turn him back into a human.
"However, this design and color are a bit outdated. I've read that students used to wear this kind of uniform dozens of years ago. Nowadays, many scholars wear multi-colored uniforms. I'm actually surprised that you still have this. This can be sold as an antique."
"Really?"
He surprisingly didn't know that his uniform was that rare until the cat-eared man pointed it out from its history. If he'd known his clothes were that rare, he could've sold it to someone at a higher price. But for now, trading is the only option.
"How about this? I'll trade you those clothes for seventy-five percent of the original price for this uniform, how does that sound?"
"S-Seventy five?!"
Shouya's mouth went agape as he could not believe what he had heard.
A trade between his uniform for the clothes he wanted for seventy-five percent of the original price. That is an affordable deal.
"Alright, I'll take it."
As Shouya accepts the trade, the cat-eared man rings his register and the number changes from forty-five to eleven. Shouya gives him the uniform and pays him for the clothes, only leaving him with only twenty-eight ecros left in his wallet.
"Thank you for your patronage. Please come again."
The cat-eared man bows as Shouya, along with Alisa, who was waiting in front of the door, begins to exit the store with his brand new appearance.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"What's wrong? Had enough confidence to fight? And here I thought that you wanted to reclaim the Blue Sharks as they once were. Guess I was wrong."
Even though they were strong by numbers, Clugil and his team were pulverized by Darmac as they couldn't lay a single scratch on him. They were weak, bruised, and exhausted that could barely stand, but they were no match for his incredible strength.
"Look, just give up and admit it. You can't beat me—you can't beat all of us! You're the weakest link in this organization. If you would've kept your mouth shut and done what you were told, none of this would've ever happened and you wouldn't have embarrassed yourself in front of everyone here, including Vikov."
"Just...shut up already!"
Despite his wounds, Clugil continues to stand in front of him and chooses to keep fighting Darmac. He gave a punch to Darmac, who was standing and decided to not move out of the way. The punch was so soft and light that it had no effect on him.
"C'mon, this is terrible."
"You suck man! Just die already!"
"This fight sucks!"
"Give up man. You're no match for him."
"Booo!"
They can hear other members of the Blue Sharks sending boos and jeers towards Clugil and his team. Darmac couldn't help but agree with the majority of the audience.
"See that? You're making a fool of yourself. You should just face it already. You're no match for me or my strength."
He says that as he gave a heavy punch to Clugil, sending him flying across the arena towards his team in front of them. After he punched him, Darmac gave an unsatisfying sigh.
"To be honest with you, I'm bored. I've had many great and enjoyable fights in my prime, but compared to them, you're the very few that managed to make me feel bored. So just give up."
"If you think we're gonna give up, you're wrong! We're gonna show you what we're made of!"
Raiji ran full speed towards Darmac by using his ability when he fought against Gin back in the store. He uses the cage around him as trampolines, bouncing from one cage to the next. And the bouncier he is, the faster he gets.
"Sir Clugil! Are you alright?"
While Raiji is busy with Darmac, Touya runs towards the downed Clugil right next to him with bruises all over his body.
"Yeah, I'm fi— Nn!"
He felt a sharp pain in his chest when he was punched by Donga. He looks at his own wound that Darmac inflicted on him and sees a large cut on his chest. It was not deep enough to hit anywhere in his organs, but he is still bleeding nevertheless.
"Wait...how...?"
Clugil was confused about how Darmac managed to cut him. He was mostly using his fists for the entire fight. He could've used his claws to cut him, but it would be impossible if his fist was closed. Unless...
"—!"
"Sir?"
"Raiji, watch—"
"You're finished!"
Clugil tried to warn Raiji, but it was already too late. Raiji raised his blade as he was getting close towards Darmac, going for an attack. However, the moment that he got close to him, his fate was sealed.
"—!!"
Then, in an instant, Raiji's left arm was suddenly dismembered from his body and flew across the arena, along with his sword, and landed with a hard thud. It was clean cut at the mid-section of his elbow.
Darmac's arm suddenly has a sword-like blade that was attached to the back of his wrist. That is how he cut off Raiji's arm; a blade that was so hidden inside of the gauntlet that no one couldn't see it coming.
Even though he cut off Raiji's arm, Darmac gave an unsatisfying sigh.
"Even that isn't fun."
"Huaa!"
Touya charged in towards Darmac with an overhead punch to attempt to get a hit in for what he did to Raiji, but Darmac jumped over his arm and he spin kicked him on the back of his head. He kicked him so hard that Touya's large body collapsed on the floor and resulted in a knockout.
He approached Clugil, who was on his knees, unable to continue fighting, and placed his blade at Clugil's neck.
"You've tried betting against your odds and it failed. There's no point for you to continue on. The only thing you can do is die."
There's nothing that Clugil could do anymore. He tried defending himself, he tried fighting for his team, he tried to redeem himself and turn the Blue Sharks to what they used to be. But he has failed to achieve that goal, and his punishment for betraying the Blue Sharks, who is currently led by Vokov, is death.
"...Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why is a mercenary like you working with a bastard like him? From what I heard, you'll do anything for money. Blue Sharks never pay other members here, they only keep their loot to themselves. So why work with them?"
Darmac ponders a bit to search for the right words to say for Clugil. Then, he gives him an answer in front of him.
"Well, to put it bluntly, it was the thrill of the fun, of course."
"Huh?"
Clugil was puzzled by what Darmac just said. "The thrill of the fun
"
? What does he mean by that? He couldn't understand what that meant.
"The fighting. The bloodshed. Where you're not bound by the rules and allowed to let loose in mortal combat. Hearing all of that and fighting every opponent just keeps my blood pumping. The more I fight, the more I become stronger. Of course, it got old after a couple of matches, but hey, what can you do? I enjoy fighting. It makes me feel free! And with the audience here, it makes me feel alive!"
He was in disbelief as Darmac's rapidly speaking nonsense came out of his mouth. The excitement from him was inhumane, he had never seen someone with a nature like him before. But seeing Darmac like this made him feel uncomfortable.
"But you on the other hand..."
"—Gn!"
Darmac stabs his blade into Clugil's left abdomen. He lifted him with his blade and changed his face from a joyful look to a frown.
"After seeing your display, you lack everything on what makes a good fighter. It was disgraceful, so disgraceful that it made me want to vomit. But it doesn't matter. After I kill you, I can get rid of that awful taste from my mouth."
As he prepares to kill Clugil, he unsheathes a second blade from his other gauntlet and slowly raises it above his head.
"So this is how it ends?"
Clugil looks down in distress as he accepts his fate. He thinks about what could've done if he had actually won. A will of what he could've done.
"Damn it. I could've actually taken charge and returned the Blue Sharks to once they used to. I could've taken over Vincilos and have everyone in my command..."
Darmac's blade was raised to the sky, pointing to the ceiling of the warehouse, as he was about to bring down judgment to Clugil. The blade draws in into Clugil as it comes down—
"I could've taken revenge on that bastard Gin!!"
In that moment, his life was vanquished in a blink of an eye.
"..."
At least, if it should've been.
"...H...Huh?"
Clugil slowly opens his eyes and sees the blade an inch away from his face before his death. What caused Darmac to suddenly stop? Why did he not kill him? Clugil was wondering why as he couldn't fathom this outcome.
"—What...did you say?"
He couldn't hear Darmac's quiet voice as he was still taken aback by a situation this bizarre.
"Oof!"
Darmac released him from his blade and tossed him to the floor. He then grabs him by the collar of Clugil's suit and holds him up high in front of the cage.
"You
said
Gin. Is he here in this very city?"
"Y-Yes! He and his...goddamn family live here in the shopping district!"
"I see..."
After he gave Darmac information about Gin's whereabouts, he tossed Clugil behind him as if he was nothing but leftover trash. But then, a bit of spark had kicked in.
"So...you've been here all this time, Ginny? ...He...hehehehehe."
As soon as he heard that name, his personality suddenly changed. His laugh started off soft, but then it grew louder and louder that members of the Blue Sharks that are inside of the warehouse could hear him laugh.
It is a sign of wanting to wreak havoc—a sign of bloodlust.
His laugh was interrupted by other members of the Blue Sharks, who were wanting to see him kill Clugil.
"What the hell?! Why did you stop?!"
"Don't stop, kill him!"
"Why are you letting him live? Just kill him already!"
"I want to see him dead!"
The members of the Blue Sharks that were spectating the fight were taken aback by this outcome and shouted out demands that he should kill Clugil. Darmac waved his arm and said to everyone that is in the warehouse "Calm down. I've got a better solution."
Everyone in this room fell silent as Darmac got something he wanted to say. He points his finger out to Vikov, who was on top of a pyramid of iron crates.
"I'd like to propose a request."
"Oh? And what will that be?"
"Allow me to take command of this group, let me lead your men."
"Are you mad?! The only one who commands us is Sir Vikov! Only he can give orders to—"
Before Lince could say any further, Vikov interrupted him by placing his gigantic lion hand in front of him.
"But sir..."
With no words, he continues to give Lince a cold stare. Lince knows that very well; if he were to ever give you that stare, then you'll be asking for death. Lince swallowed his saliva and stuttered "Y-Yes, sir."
Vikov looks back to Darmac and asks him in a calm and solemn expression.
"For what purpose do you propose? What is the benefit for you to command my team?"
"It's pretty obvious, really..."
As he was about to give an explanation as to why he should command Vikov's forces, he looked around to the Blue Sharks members and extended his arm to them. Everyone, in this very room, looks at him in silence as he makes his speech.
"Members of the Blue Sharks. What has happened to you? Whatever happened to all the pride that we once had? Where's the fighting spirit that we all had back then? You all had everything: riches, power, dominance, everything that you could ever imagine. But now, because the kingdom sends their Saints and the Inquisitor to this country, they pushed you into this shabby-looking dumpster that you called 'base' and your so-called 'boss' had decided to run away with his tail between his legs. How long are you gonna sit idly while that damned king from Theacala just sits in his fatass on his throne and tells us what to do? You all should be over there, where the mighty takes control of the city with a powerful leader you have, not in the backburner where you have weak members like them running around ruining your image. Tell me this. Are you all sick of being bound by their restricted laws? Are you sick of living a normal life doing the same daily routine twenty-four-seven? Are you gonna sit here, give up like cowards, and do what you were told while they get all the glory? Let's take back what we have lost! Our pride! Our riches! Our city! We'll kill everyone and destroy everything that stands in our way to return what belongs to us and bring our city back!"
His long speech resonated with everyone that was in this warehouse. They didn't get it at first, but they caught on to what he was saying. They agree to what he said and rally with Darmac with a cheerful roar.
"Hey, he's right! This is
our
city!"
"Hell yeah! Screw the king!"
"We're with you Darmac!"
"Let's give them a peace of mind about what we're really made of!"
Their cries have turned into anger, and their anger has turned into a cheer for violence. Their voices grew louder and louder as they started to revolt against society, against the world, against all things that claimed to be theirs, to begin with.
This entire group has turned into a mob.
"I see..."
As they are about to begin their revolution, Vikov laughs from the top of his iron-coated throne and stands.
"Yes! You all should take his words by heart. That is what the Blue Sharks is truly all about! We have remained silent for far too long. Now it's the time that we rise from the shadows. No longer we are going to hide like cowards! No more picking up scraps nor we starve on bones! We will storm the city and take back what was ours! Raise your sword! Raise your fangs! Because tonight, we, the Blue Sharks, are going to conquer Vincilos!"
The responsive cheer was loud enough that it even made the ground shake. Now, this isn't about pride anymore, now this is war. A war for Vincilos.
While everyone cheers and begins to prepare themselves to destroy everything in their way, Darmac gives himself a soft laugh.
"Get ready Ginny... This is gonna be one hell of a feast."
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"It has been a long time since we last saw each other. It took me a while to search for you, but now, I've finally found you, still alive and kicking! I've heard you've retired from the military and moved on."
"I did. To get away from guys like you."
"Oof! You've hurt my feelings, Ginny. And I thought we would get a wonderful reunion after you were gone for nearly a century. I mean, look at us. Our fur isn't like what they're used to back then. Oh, the memories."
Darmac made a deep sigh to Gin as he briefly took a trip down memory lane. But even with Darmac showing his happy-go-lucky expression to him, Gin is having none of it as he keeps his guard up.
"Just who is he?"
While that was happening, Shouya and Jakki took a look at the two of them from the store. Shouya noticed that his appearance looks a lot like Gin, the only main difference is that his fur is cyan blue in contrast to Gin's lavender-colored fur. He wondered if he came from the same race as Gin.
"Hmm?"
Darmac took notice of both Gin's kids and Shouya that were inside the store. He raised his brow as he was puzzled as to why there are kids in there.
"Are those kids? But why would they... Ah!"
He made a huge gasp as he now realized who these kids belonged to. He looked at Gin and made a wide grin on his face.
"Ginny! I didn't know you were married! So I guess those are your kids, then? I guess you and Enna are finally a thing, huh? And you didn't send me an invite to your marriage? I gotta say, that's harsh. I wonder how Enna is doing?"
"Not talking to an asshole like you, that's what!"
"Oi! You better respect commander Darmac or else he'll kick your ass!"
"'Commander'? So you're working with the Blue Sharks too?"
"Who? Me? Pah! You thought I worked with those idiots? Get real! I wouldn't want to work with those weaklings."
Couldn't fathom what Darmac had said, Gin raised his brow and cocked his head sideways. He had thought that he was a member of the Blue Sharks, but that wasn't the case. Even Donga couldn't understand what he just said.
"The hell?! You're one of us, right?"
"As if! Did you think that I, the leader of the Scaring Wolves, would ever join the Blue Sharks? It ain't that simple, at least in my point of view."
"The hell does that mean?"
"It means the Blue Sharks are nothing more than a weak group. We don't correlate to each other. Sure Vikov and I had similar ideals, but we both have different goals. He wants to take over the country as a false king, as for me, well, I did it for the thrill of the hunt. Searching for strongest opponents far and wide, no matter if they're old or young, male or female. What he is doing is like a big selfish manchild demanding what he wants."
"But your speech... What about your plan to take Vincilos back?"
"Oh, that? I really didn't need the city. I did it so I can draw out both Ginny
and
the Grand Inquisitor himself from his den. A simple bloodbath between Blue Sharks and the people of Vincilos should suffice."
They couldn't believe what they just heard. It wasn't about taking back Vincilos nor did he care if both Blue Sharks took over Vincilos or its people, it was about spreading bloodshed to draw both Gin and the so-called
Grand
Inquisitor's
attention.
Vincilos, the peaceful city and a wonderful paradise where you can live happily, will become a city of chaos and destruction.
"Darmac! What are you scheming?"
"Isn't it obvious, Ginny? I shall become stronger; strong enough to defeat you, and become the world's strongest man alive! Even strong enough to defeat Egakhan."
"—!!"
"E-E-Egakhan?!"
Listening to Darmac's bold and dastardly claim sets a cold and heavy pressure in the air that both Gin and Donga felt a chill down their spine.
"Egakhan? Grand Inquisitor? What are they talking about?"
Unlike those three who seemed to know everything in this world, Shouya, however, having no prior knowledge in this world, therefore, he doesn't know who, or what, they're talking about. But even if he doesn't know who they are, based on their expressions, just mentioning them gave him goosebumps.
Gin clicked his tongue at his ludicrous assumption, baffled by his outrageous belief that he could actually do all of that.
"So you're confident enough to face
him,
aren't you? I know you're crazy, but that's just over the top ridiculous! Even if you could, the Grand Inquisitor can stop you even if you tried."
"That's exactly the point! After I kill you, I'll kill Vikov. Then I'll kill the strongest people, including the Grand Inquisitor himself, and lastly, kill Egakhan and fulfill the legacy as the strongest Kowler in the world!"
"...You're full of it!"
"Oh?"
"I said you're full of shit! You thought you could live in a fairy tale where you could kill Vikov, beat the Grand Inquisitor, and the Dragon King? Now I know you're bluffing! But if you think like that, then you have a child-like mentality, that's what! There can be only
one
king, and that's Vikov! Don't you forget that!"
If there were one person that would not accept his ideals, it would be Donga. He was out of the loop when Darmac started talking about
the strongest Kowler in the world,
but he didn't buy into that. Donga, a member of the Blue Sharks, values his support to his one and soon-to-be true king: Viktor.
Darmac took a deep breath and let out a sigh.
"So that's how it is? Well, no matter. It's just your opinion. I won't force you to change your mind. However..."
Suddenly, out of nowhere, evil malice spiked through the air as something he had done was imaginable. A murderous intent, an inescapable misfortune, the smell of blood as far as the eye can see.
"—Koff!"
Donga coughed out blood as if something stabbed through him. He looked down and saw Darmac's arm dug through his chest, where the heart was located. In fact, his arm dug in so deep that Donga's heart was behind him, sitting on Darmac's hand, still beating.
His speed was unimaginable. He was as fast as a speeding bullet. There wasn't anyone who was as fast as he is. With only a blink of an eye, Donga has only met his end.
"Such weak-willed people have no place in this world."
Darmac tightly squeezed the beating heart, harder and harder, until it exploded in his hand. As he reeled back his arm, Donga flopped on the ground, laying down on his own pool of blood.
Both Shouya and Gin were shocked to see that someone was murdered in front of them with their own very eyes.
H-He...killed him!
Shouya couldn't stop looking at it as blood continued to bleed out from the lifeless corpse's fist-sized hole from his chest. He quickly covered his own mouth, urging himself to vomit, but he swallowed it in before he could let it out.
He couldn't describe this feeling. He could feel nothing but guilt and fear..
"DARMAC!!"
In a fit of rage, Gin ran towards Darmac full speed as he attempted to land the first hit on him. But he quickly dodged the attack and went in for a counterattack with a straight hard punch. Gin blocked his attack and they both began to exchange blows.
"Hahahahahaha!! Yes! This is what I've been yearning for! Fight to your heart content, Ginny! Fight until one of us is out!"
Their strength was immeasurable. Hit after hit. Punching and kicking. Dodging and blocking. Seeing the two of them fight like this is like watching a kung-fu movie, except there were no cameras, no stunt performers, or even any sign of acting. The hits they landed sounded real. The emotion they expressed felt real. The blood, sweat, and saliva that are coming out of their bodies looked real. No, it's not that it
looked
real, in fact, this is all real—too real.
No way, this is insane!
No matter how he looked at it, it's one of the most brutalist fights Shouya had ever seen. It was happening so fast that his eyes could barely catch up.
After a couple of blows exchanged, both Gin and Darmac clasped each other's hands together, locking them in place.
"It's been a while since we've fought like this. How long ago was it? Eighteen years? Eighteen years since we last fought each other? Eighteen years since we've been on the battlefield together? Eighteen years since the Eistogan War? The eighteen years that we became war brothers?"
"Yeah, I remember. It was the year that you betrayed us and everyone from the Grey Moon! I won't forgive you for what you did!"
"Well not fret,
comrade
. I intend to tie up those loose ends. I'm going to continue where I left off. Starting with you and Enna."
Using his leg, Darmac knees Gin straight to the abdomen, causing Gin to regurgitate saliva, and he kicks him in the face, sending him flying to the other side of the street and crashing into the lamp post.
"Papa!"
"Hello there, kid!"
"Wah!"
As Jakki called out to his father Gin, Darmac appeared right in front of him. He fell down on the floor with his bum as he frighteningly looked up at Darmac. He kneels in front of the frightened Jakki and looks at him up close.
"My, my. Aren't you a cute lil' munchkin? Looking at you close, you're looking kinda scrawny down there. Let me introduce myself. The name's Darmac. I guess your parents never told you about me, but you can refer to me as your
uncle.
Oh, and is that your sister? I didn't know that Ginny and Enna had twins."
"Don't you dare touch her!"
As he was about to reach out to the unconscious Gina, Darmac turned his head and looked at the person who shouted at him. It was Shouya.
"Huh? And who the hell are you? Judging from the way you look and the kind you're from, you're neither Ginny's kids. What are you, their babysitter? Look, don't try to get smart with me, but I'm giving you a chance of letting you live. So you would either get lost or die right here. Either way, I don't have time to deal with nobodies like you."
"—!"
He's right. I am a nobody. What am I even doing? If I fight him now, he'll kill me. But he's giving me a chance. If I run now, I'll live! Yeah, that's what I'll do!
Listening to his own thoughts, Shouya could run away from the fight and avoid fighting Darmac. But if he were to do that, that would mean leaving Gin and the others behind.
But, these guys... Gin, Enna, Jakki, Gina. They've done so many nice things to me. Should I really abandon them?
He thought back and remembered how many good deeds they gave to Shouya. They gave him a job, they fed him good food, they even gave him a place to stay. Gin and his family gave him so many nice things that they can offer, even if Shouya didn't ask for any of it.
They treated him so well like he was a part of a family.
No! I need to protect them! I owed them everything! They have done so many nice things for me. I needed to return the favor. I can't let them die here. I can't let them die because of me. I need to save them!
"Hyaa!"
After realizing what he wanted to do, he clenched his fist and charged towards Darmac.
"—Gnn!"
This caught Darmac off-guard as Shouya's punch hit his cheek. This was actually the first time that Shouya managed to hit someone. He hadn't actually thrown a punch in his world; he was always reserved and defensive, and he kept his business to himself. He was never the type of person who would actually start a fight.
When he finally threw out a punch to him, Shouya felt sort of relieved. But even so, he could feel his hand shaking after he punched him.
"How's that? Now leave them alone!"
"You got guts, I like that. But..."
Faster than the naked eye could see, Darmac, with his quick speed and brute strength, kicked Shouya by the arm, sending him flying across the street and scraping his skin on the hard pavement. When he kicked him, Shouya could even hear the bones of his arm break, dislocating his left shoulder, as all of this happened in an instant. He was unable to defend himself from that attack. Instead, he was left dumbfounded when he came in and attacked Shouya.
Shouya was careless; he didn't think that Darmac would attack him back. He thought that when he punched him, he would be on his knees, beg for forgiveness, and run away. But that wasn't the case. It did the exact opposite that Shouya had wished for.
It was enough to impress Darmac for a short time, but it wasn't enough to bring him down.
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!
Driving in pain, Shouya could hear himself screaming in pain and rolling on the ground as he felt this immense pain that Darmac had inflicted on him. He felt as if his arm was going to tear off from his body. He hadn't felt this kind of pain in his life.
"...You're not strong enough to take on me."
"GYYAAAAA!!"
Darmac steps on his head and begins to press Shouya's head onto the ground. Shouya could only do nothing but scream in agony as the force of Darmac's foot pushed his head to the pavement.
"You thought that you could beat me in just one small punch? Get real, kid. This is a dog-eat-dog world. Only the strongest of the strong can survive in the harsh reality of sociality. You think that you're tough, but look at you; weak and pathetic. You're not even quick enough to defend yourself. I'm glad that I didn't recruit someone like you in the Scaring Wolves. If I did, I would've killed you from the moment you came to my doors. It's better for weaklings like you to die."
Shouya wished he would have responded to Darmac's claims and his views about the strong versus the weak, but the sound of his own painful scream overlaps his sense of hearing as his foot kept on pushing him to the ground. His throat is becoming sore from all the screaming he is sprouting. His mind is becoming numb as air ejected from his lungs. His head kept pushing harder and harder, like his head is about to give in and break at any moment.
This is painful. This is torture. This is suffering. This is agony. This is torment. This is anguish. There is one word that is to best describe the situation:
hell.
"Ura!"
"—Puah!"
Before Shouya could give out, Darmac got hit with a long iron bar and flew out of him and he landed on the pavement on all fours. Gin, with his unimaginable strength, was holding a lamp post that was more than twenty-foot tall and used it as a weapon.
"Ginny, now you're just playing dirty. I like that. Very well, then. Guess I don't have to hold back as well!"
Darmac began to run full speed towards Gin as he was ready to face him again head-on. Gin swings the lamp post at him, but he quickly blocks it with his silver gauntlets on his arms as he is still running towards him. Darmac lowered his fist all the way to the ground, touching the stone pavement on the street and sparks began to come out from his arm as he dragged his fist towards Gin as he was preparing to uppercut him.
Gin foresaw this predictable move and tilted his body sideways to evade the uppercut, however, even when he missed, Darmac gave a silent grin to him.
"—!"
A cold wind fills the air as something unimaginable is going to happen. He felt a sharp pain on his chest. Gin looked down on his chest and saw a large cut. Even though the cut was not deep enough to kill him, the blood was dripping out of him like a waterfall. He looked up to Darmac and saw a blade coming out of his iron gauntlets, with Gin's blood dripping on the edges of the blade.
With his blade raised, Darmac slices downward towards Gin, but he quickly backs away from Darmac and dodges the blade before its sharp edge could touch him.
"How do you like my upgrade, Ginny?"
"That's more like cowardice to me!"
"Harsh! After all of my training, I'd thought I would surprise you by showing you something new. I've known you for so many years; I've seen your techniques, I've learned how you fight. It won't work on me this time."
Gin Glymes, a former soldier of the military group called Grey Moon, and currently a husband and a father of two children. Darmac Payne, traitor of Grey Moon and the leader of the mercenary group Scaring Wolves. Two polar opposites, but both of them had a very long history with each other, so it's no surprise that Darmac knows how Gin fights and how to stop him.
This would leave Gin at a huge disadvantage and defeating him will not be that easy. If he makes one simple mistake, he'll be met with the ends of Darmac's blades.
"I see... Then I guess I have no choice but to use this."
Gin clenched his fists and he took up his fighting stance. He spread his legs and thrust his open hand at Darmac. He gave an enlightened "Oh ho!" as he saw him taking up his battle form. But it was more to that.
"Hmm? What's that glowing on his hand?"
He can see a bright orange light shining on his fist behind Gin. Darmac couldn't figure out why his arm was glowing, but he ignores it as he takes up his fighting stance as well.
"It doesn't matter, we all know how this will turn out."
He spreads his legs wide and positions his blades pointed directly at Gin. Both of them gave a cold stare to each other as the wind brushed their short fur on their bodies. Seeing them standing and staring down at each other face to face is like watching an old samurai movie.
But who will deal the final blow?
"HYYAAAA!!"
Both of them charged into each other, closing in to see who can deliver the final blow. Darmac comes towards him with his right arm raised and attempts to stab him, the tip of his sword clashes with Gin's glowing fist. But...
"What?!"
For some unknown reason, instead of Gin's arm being sliced off, his arm remained intact. Darmac couldn't believe it with his eyes to see his arm was being wrestled with the sharp object like a blade. It is as if the arm itself is harder than ice, sturdier than steel, unbreakable than diamonds.
"...Guyun...TATORRA!!!"
Gin's arm glowed brighter as he pushed his forward against Darmac's blade. As he was pushing, the blade itself started to shatter. But that's not all...
"—!!"
It isn't just the sword that was shattered, but Darmac's right arm exploded, leaving only up to the elbow. Darmac was in a state of shock as he witnessed a part of him was suddenly blown to smithereens.
But Gin isn't done with him yet...
"GORRRRA!!"
With an ounce of his strength left, Gin's left fist contacted the side of Darmac's face. The punch was hard enough that even he was stupor by Gin's strength. Gin puts all of his strength into his fist to blow Darmac far across the street, bouncing on the hard pavement and crashing into the house and creating a hole in the wall.
After surviving a tough battle against his rival and his former comrade, Gin was already on his knees and breathed heavily.
"Damn it... And to think I would have to use this ability three times in one day. But I never thought that I would ever manage to survive."
Guyun Tatorra; the most powerful magic in his arsenal. It's an ability that not only can break through magic barriers, but also can break through any kind of metal—including flesh—that stands in his way. Whenever there's a sword, armor, or even an iron wall, he can break through all of them without any difficulties.
It was the toughest fight that he had ever fought. Darmac wasn't a pushover; both of them fought against each other with their full strength. If Gin was a regular person with no magic, the fight would've been clearly one-sided and Darmac would have succeeded in his goal. But thanks to his ability, Guyun Tatorra, he was able to beat the odds.
"I couldn't have done it without your teachings, master."
Gin looks up at the night sky, clenching his fist as he praises the person who taught him that move.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
(Distinct voice 1): "A worthless scum like you shouldn't be allowed to exist!"
(Distinct voice 2): "I WILL KILL YOU!!!"
(Distinct voice 3): "You always knew I'm nothing more than a monster."
(Distinct voice 4): "Would you..."
***
"I have done many things that I'm not proud of and this is one of them..."
The sun was rising from the horizon, the light fell on the birds sleeping on the rooftops and woke them up. Unfortunately the sunlight didn't reach Scorch and Alissia's faces because the buildings around them were blocking it.
Scorch opened his eyes, realizing that a new day was upon them, he scratched his head and stretched his back, due to the uncomfortable ground he was sleeping on, then he woke up his sister.
Scorch: "Hey, sis... Alissia, wake up!"
Alissia: "(yawn) So it was just a bad dream?" - Alissia gently scratched her eyes.
Scorch: "What? What was your dream about?"
Alissia: "Nothing, it's not important..."
Scorch: "If you say so, c'mon let's go steal some more stuff, if we do well today we might be able to afford a room in the inn!"
Alissia: "Don't you think you are getting a bit too greedy?"
Scorch: "(sigh) I'm doing this because I want us to live in a nice place, with food on the table, in a place where we actually matter... I want to fulfill our dreams, but we can't do that if we are dead."
Alissia: "Fine, but we need to find a new way to make money, a job where we don't steal from people!"
Scorch: "I'm sure one day we will!"
The kids proceed to spend their entire day pickpocketing the nobles around the city. Scorch was happy, his pockets were full with stolen money and jewelry, he had a big smile on his face as they were walking towards the inn. However, Alissia was furious with her brother, his goal was to gather enough money to afford a room in the inn, but he stole way more money than he was supposed to.
Scorch: "150... 200... 250... we have 300R! We can even afford that room for two nights, if we want to!"
Alissia was too tired to yell at him again, so she decided to remain silent for the time being, but something in the back of her head was telling her that Scorch didn't have enough stealing for today.
As they were making their way through the market, Scorch noticed a beautiful young woman with a child. The child had long white hair, crimson red eyes, was wearing all white and around the same age as Scorch and Alissia. The woman however had long, black, wavy hair, not older than twenty, violet eyes, dressed in a black kimono with short sleeves, and had a bag full of coins strapped to her waist.
Scorch: "Hey, mind if you carry the money for me, I've been carrying them all day ya know?"
Alissia: "Sure..." - she said in annoyance.
Alissia kept walking ahead of him, she was so focused on her nightmare that she didn't even notice that Scorch wasn't walking behind her anymore, as if he just vanished. She turned around and saw her brother carrying a bag of cash, coming from the direction of that woman.
Alissia: "Are you kidding me!"
Scorch: "What?"
Alissia: "You took that money from that woman over there, didn't you?!"
Scorch: "So what? It's not like we didn't steal from other people today, taking from just one other person wouldn't make a difference."
Alissia: "She has a child with her!"
Scorch's expression changed, his eyes narrowed down and for a moment they looked as if they were reflecting the light coming from the setting sun in bright green. He placed his hands in his pockets and said in a deep cold voice.
Scorch: "Quit pretending to be my mother, you know better than everyone that you can never replace her."
He tried to move forward, but she grabbed him by the shoulder, while looking towards the ground she was on the edge of crying, but yet she spoke with a smile on her face.
Alissia: "But I'm your sister and... And I care about you. Where are you?"
Scorch: "What are you talking about?!"
Alissia: "He has always been someone I've looked up to, someone who always knew how to cheer me up. Like this one time when my father burned my favorite book, my brother stayed up all night and wrote the entire book from scratch because he knew how much I cried, and in the end... He made it even better! But these days I can barely recognize him, there's this dark cloud above his head and greed in his eyes. So I'm going to ask you again..." Alissia grit her teeth as hard as possible, she couldn't hold her tears anymore and just screamed from the top of her lungs "...WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!!! WHERE IS HE?!"
Alissia screamed her heart out, she didn't care that the whole city could hear her rage. The people around them were frozen, with a shock on his face Scorch looked at her tears, without saying a word, he just stared at her broken face. She then grabbed his hand and began dragging him to the alley they had spent the last night on.
Scorch: "...Where are we going?" - he said, while still in shock.
Alissia: "We are going back to that alley again! And tomorrow we are going to return everything we have stolen!"
"I've never seen her this angry before, at that moment I didn't know what to say, I was looking at her and I couldn't see my sister. Is this what the street does to you, or is it just us, who feel like this?"
Some time passed, the sun was already hiding behind the horizon and they made it to the alley, they turned around the corner and instead of only seeing the old pile of hay, they saw the same woman with black hair and violet eyes sitting on top of it, alone.
???: "Well it looks like the two troublemakers decided to come home..." - she spoke in a laid-back, calm voice with little to no emotion behind her words.
Alissia: "You are that woman from the market!"
???: "Please, call me Charlotte. And I believe you have something for me..."
The woman snapped her fingers and the money bag levitated back towards her hand in an instant.
Scorch: "You- You are a mage!"
Charlotte: "And you are that little brat that stole my money. But to be honest I was quite impressed by your speed, I couldn't even see you coming. You have talent, kid, use it for something good and just for that reason only I'm not going to kill you." She slowly turned against the wall "But... (snap)!"
Scorch felt an immeasurable pain in his left leg, he fell on the ground, screaming from the agony, Charlotte dislocated his leg with just one snap of her fingers.
Charlotte: "...A dog that misbehaves must be punished, so that It won't be so ignorant next time it meets his superiors."
Charlotte kicked him in the face with her boots and blood from his mouth splattered on them. Scorch looked absolutely lifeless as the blood spread across his face.
Charlotte: "Looks like I got some blood on my shoes, you think you can clean them up for me?"
Scorch: "..."
Charlotte: "Hey I'm talking to you!" - she kicked him in the face one more time.
Alissia: "Leave Scorch alone!"
Charlotte: "So your name is Scorch? Interesting name, I will definitely remember it..."
Alissia pulled a knife out of her shoe, which she kept hidden ever since they left Kenji's house, she was about to stab Charlotte in the neck with it, but in that moment a giant celestial butterfly appeared and blocked her attack.
Alissia grunted with annoyance, Charlotte turned towards her and so did the butterfly, it had two beautiful wings colored in black and purple and six legs as sharp as knives.
Charlotte: "Coming at me with so much aggression, it doesn't really fit a young lady such as yourself to behave like this..."
Alissia: "SHUT UP!"
Charlotte: "How amusing..."
The butterfly extended and launched its legs towards Alissia, but she swiftly avoided five of them by jumping from right to left every time they were about to hit her and on the sixth strike she jumped in the air, as the leg of the butterfly was stuck in the ground, she used it as a bridge to sprint towards Charlotte and slice her through the chest with her knife.
Alissia: "I did it!" - or so she thought.
The slice wasn't deep enough to deal any real damage since she didn't have proper training and only used the knife to defend herself once before against her father.
As Alissia was vulnerable in the air, Charlotte used that opportunity to stab her through the chest with the legs of her butterfly.
Charlotte: "I wasn't going to kill you... but since you attacked me I had no other option but to defend myself. I'm sure the cops wouldn't care about two homeless kids. A worthless scum like you shouldn't be allowed to exist!"
Scorch watched from the ground as the life of his sister was slowly fading away, the blood dropped on the ground and Charlotte smiled in the distance.
"This... can't be... happening! This is a dream! No, she can't be dead, this isn't real! My leg hurts so much and I'm losing a lot of blood... but I still need to protect her, I have to get up! Get up! GET UP!"
Just for a single moment Scorch felt like he was in an entirely different place, a place that didn't feel real, a place where he was swimming in an ocean full of blood and the sun was dead.
"GET UP!!! I SAID GET UP!!!"
Scorch's whole body began to smoke, his leg was still dislocated, but he put it back into place with his bare hands, he slowly raised from the ground without using his arms and looked at Charlotte with his bloodthirsty eyes, as the blood kept dripping down from his mouth and forehead.
Charlotte: "You still have the strength to walk, this is impossible?!"
Charlotte suddenly felt a huge emptiness in her chest, she looked towards Scorch only to find him holding her heart in his bloodied hand, with a terrifying grin which spread from ear to ear.
Charlotte: "How could this happen? Who is he? WHAT is he?!" - she slowly fell on the ground as her breath escaped her damaged lungs.
Scorch: "A worthless scum like you shouldn't be allowed to exist..."
His eyes returned back to the green color they had before, he was finally able to take a deep breath, knowing it was all over.
Scorch: "ALISSIA!"
He placed her head on his lap while holding her hand, she looked at his eyes and said quietly.
Alissia: "Did you win?"
Scorch: "I did..." - his eyes filled with tears. "Please... PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"
Alissia: "Listen, brother... In this life you are going to face a lot of enemies, some of them may not show themselves to you, some may try to kill you and some may try to lie to you, and I can't stand watching you suffer like this, but whenever you face a problem like this I need you to smile! Smile because you have that which I already lost, smile because you are able to breathe, smile because you are able to see the flowers, the trees, the sun and the moon! Don't worry about me, my job here is done, I'm nothing more than a button that starts this never ending chain of events, but I know that you will be able to change this twisted world, I have seen it..." - her breath faded away.
Scorch: "Alissia... Alissia? ALISSIAAAAAAAA!!!!" |
Ohohoho I see you came to me in search of answers about our world. Don't worry you learn everything there is to know about this hell. But first, let me ask you a question... Do you believe in monsters? Do you think they are real? Are you scared of them? Because if you don't, then the story I'm about to tell is meaningless. And let me tell you they are real and I'm sure you've seen them, you've seen them on the street, you've seen them in the market, behind every corner and even in your home... We are those monsters, the humans, the so-called "Noble Creatures"! No other beast is nearly as cunning, ruthless and manipulative as the human kind.
"But why are we like this?", "Is God really on our side, surely he wouldn't allow us to eat ourselves like this?" - Who is God anyway, I say? God is just a figure that takes care of us after we die, he judges us based on whether we were good or not, God doesn't even care about us! But are there truly good people in this world? That I do not know, it's hard to believe that there's a person out there who has no negative emotions, no hunger for power, who gives more than takes, a person the Devil hasn't heard of. It would take you a whole eternity to find him because that person probably doesn't exist.
Have you ever heard of the time our world almost fell to ashes, by the hands of just one man and an entire army of dragons? That man's name was Dante Kuzuiki, The First Mage. He believed that the only way to fix our world was to burn it to the ground, that there is no way to save what was "already lost". He discovered a power which would continue to be used centuries after his death. He united the two dragon species and waged war on humanity, destroying every town or village, killing every man, woman or a child. People were screaming "PLEASE KILL ME ALREADY, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!", but he just watched their skin and eyes melting in the flames of hatred. Humanity was forced to fight back, but how could they fight such an evil and powerful foe? Oriel Gates, Prince of The Gates Kingdom, watched as his people drowned in their own blood, he couldn't stand the sight of it, so he poked his eyes out and asked the Gods for help, but no response, then he asked the Devil and he responded, he gave Oriel power beyond his wildest dreams, there was only one condition, he would lose his natural soul and replace it with a special devil called Reaper, the source of his power and they will share one body until he dies. Oriel accepted the Devil's deal and his eyes healed immediately.
Oriel and Dante fought for two days, they were completely on the same level, the battle could have lasted for a month, but In the end Oriel sealed Dante's soul in the Apocrypha and he was never seen again. Though after his triumph, the world was still in discord. The two dragon species were naturally at war with each other, a war which lasted for ten thousand years. This war was another threat to humanity, Oriel Gates dedicated his entire life in order to stop it, but he failed. He used his power to separate the dragons from Eupatia, creating a new island in the process, which was later called "The Forgotten Lands", this island served as a prison and a battlefield for the dragons, to solve their problems on their own, without risking the lives of his people.
However, just like everything his journey finally came to an end, he laid on his deathbed surrounded by family and his fellow kings, then he shared his power equally with them, so that they could keep his legacy safe.
Generation of kings and Queens came and left and the world was finally at peace, but it didn't last for very long. Now The Gates Kingdom declared war against the Edessa Kingdom for stealing the king's child.
And that is where the true story begins... |
Several minutes have passed since Shouya and Alisa have started searching for the thief. Shouya had searched high and low, even in alleyways to search for him, but he was nowhere to be found. He also asked some people in this city if they know about the thief's whereabouts, but unfortunately, they shook their heads and responded with either: "Sorry, I've never seen him before" or "I've never met this person in my life". Even some of the citizens he asked are giving him sympathies because his money was stolen.
As for Alisa, on the other hand, he cannot say for sure if someone has told her they have actually found where the thief is or not. Shouya would worry about what would happen to her if he is separated from him for too long, but his mind was too focused on one objective; find the thief and take back the stolen money.
Damn it, why did it have to me? Out of everyone else in this city, why is it me that I have to get involved in this situation? If it were someone else that got their money stolen, I would just ignore it. It's not my problem if their money was stolen. Let someone else help you with that, just don't drag me into this.
After a short while of looking for the thief, Shouya just couldn't find where that man was. Finding only one man in a large city like Vincilos is just simply impossible. There are too many people to figure out where he is hiding that it would take hours—or maybe days—to find him. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.
All that Shouya can only do is to sigh.
It's no use. What is the point in finding him? He may have already been gone if all I know. You know what? Forget it. Let him keep my money, I don't need it anymore. Maybe I should tell Alisa to call off the search.
That is all that Shouya can only do; give up. He does not even have the courage or motivation to find the thief and decides to give up the search. All he could do now is to search for Alisa and tell her
I couldn't find him. Mission failed
.
That is all he could ever do, and that is all what Shouya has to say to her. Nothing more and nothing less.
All right, I guess I should find her and—
"Woah!"
Before he can even think about anything else, Shouya quickly dodges to avoid an upcoming projectile that was in front of him.
What was thrown was ordinary clay pottery that was often used for plants, fruits, or used as a decoration. Now it has been shattered into multiple little pieces splattered on the ground. Who would do such a thing to break someone's property?
Shouya surveys around the area to find the source where the pottery was thrown from. Then he found the source where it came from. There is a man leaning against the doorframe as another object is thrown past him.
What was going on over there?
"Oh boy, it's them."
"Wait, the Blue Sharks are at it again?!"
"Do you think they will ever stop?"
"Are you kidding'? Those bastards are the worst! They'll never stop."
"Shh, quiet! What if they hear you?"
"So what?! They can come at me for all I care! I can't wait to stick my foot up into their asses!"
Overhearing the crowd's negative mutters and whispers about the current situation made a confused look on Shouya's face. He asked the two beast-men that are closest to him and questioned what was going on.
"Excuse me. What are the Blue Sharks?"
"Oh? You don't know the Blue Sharks?"
"The Blue Sharks are the nefarious gang members in this city. They always like to trash other people's lives who get in their way just for money."
Ah, so they're basically the yakuza.
The yakuza are usually known for having large amounts of crime rates in Japan; robbery, drugs, and sometimes even homicide. They can also be acquainted as loan sharks; they are willing to loan you money, however, it comes with a cost. If you do not pay them back, they can make your life a living hell.
Shouya has sometimes seen them on the news, but he has never encountered a yakuza in person, so he does not have any experience talking—or even making a deal—with them before, nor wants to get involved with them.
"Do you have any idea why they are doing this?"
"I don't know, but I do hear the people who live owe them a crap-ton of money. But I doubt those bastards owe anything, they don't owe shit."
"It seems that you guys hated them so much."
"They've been doing this for almost a year now. If they continue to do this, I'll pick a fight with the boss himself and kick his ass."
Hearing the two beast-men having a grudge against the Blue Sharks is believably understandable. If you were in a position like this, what would you do? Would you stay still and do nothing while they beat you or your loved ones, or fight back and save your home and the people you love? It may sound like a cliche trope that you see on TV, but if this was in Shouya's case, he would be in a whole lot of trouble.
Before Shouya could ask more about them, Beast-man B looked back at the store and noticed something.
"Say, I don't know if it's just me, but does that store look familiar to you?"
"Ah! You're right! Those idiots don't know who they're dealing with! Can you get boss here?!"
"Aye, you got it!"
Doing as Beast-man A told, Beast-man B quickly rushes off and begins to find the person who calls him "boss"
.
Boss? Do they know someone that is actually strong enough to beat these guys? Well, as much I would love to see those guys get beaten, I think I should get back to—
"Do you know where you hide the money?"
"—!"
Before Shouya heads out to find Alisa, his legs stop and his ears begin to perk up as he hears a voice coming from behind him. He turned around to see the place where it is being raided by the Blue Sharks.
Wait a minute, I remember that voice!
That is the voice that Shouya had heard before not too long ago. It just happened recently that it was not that difficult to forget, and he was in front of Shouya's face this whole time.
The man leaning on the doorframe is none other than the man he was searching for; the thief.
"Don't worry, I'll make it quick. If you tell me where the money is, my men and I will leave here as soon as possible, and you can return to your normal lives."
Inside the house, there was a dog-eared woman, and behind her were two small children, cowering in fear. The three of them are helpless, defenseless, and all they can do is do nothing while their home is getting destroyed by those vile thugs.
"And why should I give all my money to you?! You don't deserve it. We worked so hard to get this money with our blood and sweat, you just followed what your boss tells you to do. So I won't ask again, would you
please
leave our store?"
"We'll leave once we come to what we're looking for. So do you mind telling us where it is?"
"You mean this? Ptoo!"
Just like that, the dog-eared woman spit under the thief's left eye. He used his right hand to wipe the spit off of his eye.
"Don't you underestimate me, you red-haired bitch!"
Enraged with anger, he backhand slaps the woman with the same hand he wiped off the spit with. The two children cried out to the fallen dog-woman who was hit by the thief.
"Mama!"
"I'll say it again, where is the money?"
His attitude makes the situation even worse. If she does not give him the money that he was told, then her life could be in dire. I wished that there was someone from the crowd to help her and her kids, but no one is willing to take the stand.
However...
"S-Stop!"
Someone stepped forward as they finally took a stand from the problematic situation. That person was none other than Shouya.
D-Did I really just say that?
Shouya looked around if there was anyone else who had stepped forward, but he could only see the crowd that is right behind him. He looked down at his feet and saw the position where he was. He is in front of the entry to the store.
Before, he was right next to the beast-men that he was talking to about the situation. Now Shouya, for whatever reason, chooses to take a stand against the thief's actions.
The thief squinted his eyes as he recognized Shouya's appearance.
"Oh, hey! It's you."
"Y-You better give me my money back! I really need it badly."
"Oh, you mean this?"
The thief reached into his pocket and took it out of it. It was Shouya's wallet.
"Yes! So can you give it back, please? If you do, I promise that I will never get in your way again."
It seems like instead of trying to stop the problem, Shouya tries to beg the thief to return the money to its rightful owner.
"Give it back to you? I think you don't understand. If I found something and picked it up, that means it's mine. Besides, I deserve good pay."
"Then how about I'll do whatever you want. I can join your team and be a good asset."
"Just save it! Even though you try to offer me something, I ain't giving it back to you. Besides, we already have enough people in our group, so we ain't looking for more recruitments. So scram! I'm in the middle of business here."
No matter how many times Shouya tries to beg, even offering to join the Blue Sharks, the thief will not return the stolen money. Perhaps there are no other ways to get him to return the money back to Shouya; the only option left is to give up and let him keep the money for himself.
If Alisa was here, she could maybe save those children and the mother. If Gunther was here, he could take on the thief by himself. But unfortunately, both of those people are not here. Even if Shouya could get them to this place, the thief might have already been gone at that point, and the fate of the mother has already been sealed.
However, there is another option...
"I guess I have no choice then..."
With no other options left, Shouya decides to take on the thief by himself. He raises both of his arms up to his chest level and slightly distances his left leg from his right, putting Shouya in an awkward fighting stance.
"Is he serious? Is going to fight them like
that
?!"
"That stance is so bad that it's hilarious!"
"My god, this is going to be embarrassing."
"Yeah, he's not gonna last long. Rest in peace, my friend. At least you've tried."
Based on the crowd's reactions, they already knew what the outcome was going to be without having Shouya to fight the thief. Some of them even laughed and insulted him for having a weird and poor fighting stance, while others covered their heads with their hands out of embarrassment.
Shouya does not have experience fighting with anyone before, he just mimics the stance from watching anime and playing video games back in his world. He was not taught how to fight and he did not want to. But he has no choice but to fight.
"Do you honestly think that you can take me down?"
"..."
If I have to be honest, no, I can't.
But it is worth trying it out, I guess.
"Nothing to say, eh? Alright then, prove it."
With his hands clenched into a fist and baring his teeth, Shouya charges in head first. He prepares his right hand and launches it into the thief. This is his chance; his chance to redeem himself what he is capable of and take back what was rightfully—
"Tch, too easy."
In a blink of an eye, the thief swayed his body to the left, dodging the incoming punch. That attack is just too easy, too predictable, he can see Shouya's attack from a mile away.
How did he let that slip by? Is it possible that he can see the future? No, it is not because of that. It's because Shouya's attack is too basic. It is something that an amateur would do.
Shouya is untrained, unskilled, and most importantly, unable to stand a chance against someone who has more experience in this place than him.
"My turn."
After dodging such a weak and pathetic attack, the thief uses his right hand to jab Shouya in the gut. Then after that, he punched him in the face. In just two punches, Shouya is already on the ground. That is all it takes to end the fight.
The impact from the punches felt so hard that Shouya clenched his own gut and lay on the floor as he drove in pain.
"Wait, is that really it? I guess I've overestimated you. And here I thought you're gonna put up a fight. But no, you're just a dog who doesn't know how to bite back."
H-He's right, I don't know how to fight. I guess it was a mistake to fight him. I should've never gotten involved in this. I should've run away if I had the chance.
But Shouya has already chosen his fate. If he'd instead chosen to ignore the situation, he would've been fine, unharmed, and even minding his own business. He should've let someone do it for him; someone stronger and maybe even braver than him, but Shouya has already volunteered himself, it is already too late to change his mind.
Damn it, it hurts... If I can't beat him, I can't get my money back. No, I can't lose. C-Come on body. Stand up!
Shouya tries to use his arms and legs to push himself off the floor, but his body refuses to listen to him and remains on the floor. His body is so weak, so fragile. It's like he could cry at any moment.
"Now, where was I? Oh yeah!"
The thief turned around and looked back at the dog-eared woman with an ugly smug on his face. Then, he reached out his hand to grab the little girl by the arm. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a small dagger, the size of a pocket knife, and points it in front of the little girl's right cheek. This situation has now turned into a hostage situation.
"No, stop!"
"Last time I'm going to say this. Either you give us the money, or I'll kill your little girl."
Shouya didn't think this through when it comes to a situation like this. If the thief uses the little girl as a hostage and with a weapon in hand, he won't stand a chance against him. If he tries to approach him, he would kill the little girl, or maybe even Shouya if he attempts to do something reckless.
He struggles himself to get himself to stand up before things could get worse, but his body doesn't respond. He does not have the strength to lift himself up. All he can do is do nothing but watch the torture in front of his eyes.
"Okay, I'll give you the money. But don't hurt my little girl!"
The dog-woman heads to the cash register near her as she fearfully places the money into a small bag.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her."
"Uhh, Clugil. Don't you think that's a little too much?"
One of the thief's henchmen raised an objection and actually gave his own opinion. He's a large chubby cat-man who has red fur all over his body and is two times larger than anyone in his team. That large cat man may look intimidating by size and body build, but he has a pure heart of gold.
However, the thief who is in charge, otherwise known as Clugil, is having none of it.
"Oh just shut it! Ah, I forgot. You're a family man, aren't you, Touya? Do you want your wife and child to keep living in that worn out crappy place you call home?"
"N-No..."
"Then shut the hell up and don't interfere with me! Also, don't call me by my real name! You call me
sir
, got it!?"
"Yes, sir."
Touya muttered as he looked down on the floor and do nothing but obey Clugil's command.
There is no other way to save the little girl, not even the minion's reasoning can help her. And with no one's help, the girl may as well be good as dead.
The woman finishes loading the bag full of money and holds it out to Clugil.
"There, I'm done. Now can you please release my daughter?"
"That depends. Raiji, would you mind doing me a favor?"
"Way ahead of ya."
Following his command, Raiji takes the bag from the dog-woman's hand and hands it to Clugil. Raiji, unlike his feline friend, is a dog-like human with a huge scar from his left eye all the way down to his left side of his lip. He is around the same size as Clugil with his raggy-looking clothing on top of his brown fur.
Clugil looks inside the bag to see he got what he wanted.
"On second thought, we won't be having a trade."
He turned the bag upside down to see eight gold coins being scattered on the floor. It looked like it wasn't enough to cover the cost.
"I thought we had a deal!"
"This isn't nearly enough to cover our deal. I thought you'd be rich if you're running a business like this, guess I was wrong."
"If you could give us a couple of days..."
"I don't think there's any time for that. You've failed to give us what we wanted, now you pay the price."
Not only will Clugil not release the girl, but he wants more money if he is ever going to release her. And the woman does not have any more to give him. Shouya would've paid them on the woman's behalf, but thanks to Clugil stealing the money beforehand, that idea wouldn't work.
"Then I'll offer you my body!"
"Will you now?"
"You can do whatever you want with me, but if you let my little girl go, I'll be yours."
This has peeked Clugil's interests as the dog-woman boldly declared that she will offer her body in favor of freeing the girl.
If this deal actually succeeds, he would let go of the little girl unharmed, but at the same time, this will take away the mother from her children.
"Will you accept it?"
Clugil briefly closed his eyes and thought about the woman's offer. Then, he opens his one eye as he gives her an answer.
"That's really thoughtful of you. I gotta say, you do have a fine body."
"Great! Now just let her go—"
"But I'm gonna have to say
no
."
The woman's lips froze still as she heard Clugil declined the offer. This was her only chance to get her daughter back, now every opportunity to get her back has been shut down, and Clugil, holding the girl at knifepoint, is having none of it.
"You spit on my face, you have no money, and you've ruined a perfectly good suit. But when it comes to your daughter,
now
you decided to bribe me? You deserve to get punished. And you know what? I'm gonna deliver it, starting with your kid!"
Clugil raises his arm with the dagger in hand as he is about to begin to stab the poor little girl.
In the end, neither of them couldn't even save the little girl. They tried everything they could to save her, but it came to no avail.
No!
That as if Shouya wanted to shout out, but he quickly shut his eyes as he did not want to see the brutal outcome that is about to happen—
"What the—"
"Get your hands off of my daughter..."
Just before Clugil was about to stab the girl, Shouya suddenly heard a voice. He slowly opens his eyes and he sees a large wolf-man holding the arm where Clugil has the dagger on him with his bare hand.
He was more than six feet tall and his entire body was covered in short lavender-colored fur around him, with his dark-purple mane tied on the back of his head, decorated to be like a ponytail. He wore some sort of beige overalls over his well-built and muscular body.
No way. Finally someone to the rescue.
Shouya couldn't help but feel relieved that someone actually managed to save the girl. However, as much as Shouya was glad to see someone actually stepping up, the wolf-man's angry look says otherwise as Clugil attempted to stab the girl—or in this case, the wolf-man's daughter.
Before he could get a chance to see the outcome of this ordeal, he immediately blacked out and fell unconscious.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"I'll say it again, let go of my little girl and leave, or else."
"Or else what?! Do you really think you can stop m— Aaagh!!"
Before Clugil can say more, the wolf-man uses his other arm to hit the arm that he is holding by the elbow. He hit him so hard that he can actually hear the bones of Clugil's arm break. After that devastating blow, Clugil finally releases the little girl as she runs towards her mother who was on the floor
"I was going to let you all go, but if you all messed with my family, you will regret it."
"You bastard! Touya, Raiji, kill him!"
Clugil commands both Touya and Raiji to try to take down the large wolf-man. Raiji takes out a pair of short swords behind him while Touya, instead of having a weapon on him, uses his bare hands to attempt to take him down.
"You'll regret messing with us!"
Both of them charge at the wolf-man with Raiji being five feet ahead of Touya. The swift Raiji took a winding arc to swing his swords at the wolf-man.
The wolf-man quickly dodges the attack before it can get to him and then he counters it with an uppercut. The force of the wolf-man's uppercut pushed Raiji to the other side of the room, but luckily he stopped himself by landing on all fours.
"Hyah!"
Touya launches a straight jab towards the wolf-man. He blocks the attack with his arms raised in front of his face. Touya continued to keep attacking the wolf-man and the wolf-man kept on blocking his punches. But then...
"Gotcha!"
As Touya is going for another strike, the wolf-man parries the attack and hits Touya with a hard jab to the abdomen, then proceeds with a spinning roundhouse kick, sending Touya slamming himself into the wall.
Raiji lunges towards the wolf-man, attempting to slash him. But with the wolf-man's fast reaction time, he dodges the attack and throws him into the wall. He quickly landed on the wall with his feet, and then, with intense speed, Raiji bounced off the wall to try to land a hit on him. The wolf-man dodges past him, but Raiji bounced off another wall to charge at him and successfully got a clean hit on the left shoulder. Raiji bounces off another wall to attempt to go in for another attack. The wolf-man can try to dodge the next attack, but...
"Hoooh!"
"—!!"
Before the wolf-man can even attempt to dodge the next attack, Touya intercepts him by striking in front of him. He had no choice but to block the attack. And while the wolf-man blocks Touya's attacks, Raiji uses his chance and cuts him on the wolf-man's exposed back with his sword, leaving a large cut behind him.
The combination between the tiger-man's slow but powerful strikes and the dog-man's weak, but swift and agile cuts are a dangerous combination. The wolf-man has nothing to defend himself; no shield, no armor, not even some sort of magic to defend himself from harm, but the wolf-man is not giving up. He continues to hold his ground, enduring the hits that he has taken.
Both of the children couldn't do anything but let out a yell while holding on to their mother's clutches. Meanwhile, Clugil laughs maniacally as he sees the wolf-man getting cut up by Raiji's blades and being beaten by Touya's fists.
"You see!? This is what happens if you mess with me!
Nobody
messes with me!"
"That's where you're wrong."
"What was that?"
Clugil looked back at the person who said it. It was a red-haired woman with dog-like ears. Instead of looking at despair, she smiled, as if there's actually hope to this fight, despite the circumstances.
"I have known my husband for years, he and I fought guys that are way worse. He'll never lose to assholes like you. Isn't that right, Gin?"
"You...betcha! HHHUUUAAAHHH!!"
In response, the large wolf-man, whose name was Gin, let out a loud and gusty roar, blowing away anything that was around him, including the attackers. Clugil, even though he was close to victory, he was bewildered by what was going on.
"W-What the hell!? Hey, did I tell you to stop? Keep doing what you're doing and kill him!"
He sends both Touya and Raiji to continue the fight; Raiji hopped on Touya's arm and he tossed Raiji towards the wolf-man. Just as before he can cut him with his sword, Gin charges towards him and delivers a wide backfist jab, moving away Raiji that was in front of him. Luckily Raiji blocks the attack, but he still gets shoved out of the way.
"Heads up Touya! He's heading towards you!"
Taking heed of Raiji's warning, Touya became prepared and both of them clenched to each other. Their hands locked into each other, but Jin has the upper hand. With the strength he has, he pushes Touya down until his knees touch the floor, and then, he kicks the tiger-man's face using his knee, sending him flying to the other side of the room and knocking him out.
"Damn you!"
After witnessing Touya's defeat, Raiji charges towards Gin with a flying kick, but he raises his arms to block the incoming attack. Raiji proceeds to jump off of the wolf-man's arms and lands on the wall with his feet and uses his intense speed to bounce off wall-to-wall. This was the same technique that he'd already used before.
"You can't outmatch my speed! I'm the fastest member there is! There's no way you can beat me!"
With this much speed, it seems likely that Raiji is indeed the fastest member of the Blue Sharks, however, this doesn't faze Gin in the slightest. Raiji set his sight towards Jin and pounced off the wall to go for a direct attack towards him.
"Don't think that same move will work on me this time!"
"Wha—?!"
But before he can reach him, Gin throws some sort of pottery with fully grown flowers towards Raiji. Raiji couldn't dodge in midair, so he had no choice but to block the incoming pot. Gin uses this advantage and quickly grabs Raiji's arm and throws him to the hard wooden floor of the shop repeatedly until he knocks him out cold.
He faced two of Clugil's only men and defeated them all by himself. All that is left now is Clugil himself. Gin, who is covered with cuts and blood around his body, approaches Clugil, grabs him by the collar, and lifts him off of his feet from the ground.
"Now, leave my family and my store alone!"
Then after that, in a fit of rage, he kicks Clugil to the nearest entrance.
"Grr, d-damn you! Just you wait, asshole! When I come back, I'll bring more men with me and they will kill you all of your kind!"
"Come and try! And if you do, I'll break that other arm of yours!"
And with that, Clugil had fled from the store, leaving from Gin's sights. He gave a sigh of relief as he chased off that criminal—that is Clugil—from the store and never invaded or harmed his family ever again—or at the very least, that's what he hoped.
"Hey, are you alright? Hopefully they didn't— arg!"
After Gin had kicked out Clugil and defeated his crew, he looked back to his wife and his two children, who were both saved by this large wolf. But he crouches himself on the wooden floor as he was both exhausted and in pain when he fought both Touya and Raiji.
"Papa!"
The two children quickly head towards their father who was badly wounded from the fight. But without any warning, they hug around their wounded father.
"Ah! E-Easy with your old man!".
"I was so scared, Papa!"
"Me too, Papa! He was gonna hurt sis, I don't know what to do!"
"Don't worry, I ain't letting nobody going to hurt you or your mother. If there are more bad guys coming, your daddy will ruff em' up!"
The two children, both brother and sister, hugged Gin tightly as they began to tear up. They have seen terrible things that happened to this place. Thieves raided their home, their mother being hurt, and the little girl was nearly killed by Clugil. They were lucky to have a father that protected them.
As he's being hugged by his children, the red-haired, dog-eared woman looks at him with a worried expression and sighs.
"I'm happy that you came for us, but you need to take it easy on yourself. Gosh, your body isn't capable like you used to back in the day, you know."
"I know, Enna, but I couldn't let them hurt you or the kids, so it was the only way to protect you guys. You guys are meaningful to me. Didn't I tell you before when we married? I'll protect you with all my life, that's all that matters."
"Gin..."
Enna's worries begin to settle down as Gin states that he'll risk his life for his wife and their children. That alone is enough to make her crack a smile—but only for a short while. After Jin promised that he would devote his life for her, she squeezed his black nose hard, causing Gin to cry out an "Ow!".
"But what I would like to know is who gave you permission to use my flowers as throwing objects? I worked so hard growing them!"
"I'm sorry Enna, but it was the only way I can think of to stop his speed. I'd hate to admit it, but he was indeed fast."
"You idiot! You moron! Y-You...pea-brained Kowler!"
"Ahh, AHH!"
Even if he did explain his reasoning to throw the flowerpot when he was fighting against Raiji, Enna couldn't forgive Gin for what he had done. She repeatedly hits the mortally-wounded Gin, trying to get him to teach a lesson.
What Gin said isn't actually wrong; if he hadn't thrown the flowerpot and made one false move, he would've been killed by Raiji's blades. Luckily, he made the right decision.
"Okay, okay! I won't do it again, I swear! But
please
heal me?"
"Oh, right!"
He submits to her and begs her to heal him instead of hitting him. Enna placed her hands on top of her back, where the large gaping cut is in front of her, and emits a bright yellow light in front of her. The wound starts to close itself up and the blood starts to disappear as if nothing had happened.
After she closes the wound, Enna claps her hands together.
"There we go, all done."
"Whew! Thanks! Now I'm back in tip top sha— ack!"
As Gin attempted to send his fist to the air, he still felt the pain inside of him. Even though the large cut had disappeared from his body, there are other cuts and bruises that are around his body.
"Hold it there, buck-o! Don't think I'm not done. I still need to—"
"—Ah!"
But before Enna could say anything else, the little girl cried out and they turned their attention to what she's looking at. It was Touya, who was getting up and standing in front of them.
"Oho? You wanna go for round two, big guy? Kn—!"
"Ah! Wait, don't! It's not finished!"
Gin attempts to get up to get into another fight with him, but due to his injuries, he couldn't get himself up. His wife Enna warns him that his wounds haven't fully healed, but despite his injuries, Jin readies himself and takes a battle stance as he is ready to fight the remaining enemy that is in front of him.
However, Touya took a brief look at both the woman and the children and shook his head.
"I'd rather not get into fights that involve civilians, including children. Even if my boss is, well...cruel to others, I'm not the kind of person who does that."
"I see... I respect that, thank you."
As Gin hears Touya's reasoning, his tensions soften as he doesn't see him as a threat—at least for now. Then, Touya asks him a question.
"Mind if you tell me your name?"
"It's Gin. Yours?"
"Touya. Touya Bagolna. I'll see you again, Gin, and I can promise you that we'll fight fair next time."
Touya picks up the unconscious Raiji from the floor and places him over his shoulder and leaves the store. Struggling to keep himself standing, Jin sat on the wooden floor. Enna sighs and resumes healing Gin's wounds.
"Man, you really are a doofus."
"Well, it is the only way to drive them off. Do you think they'll believe that?"
"Oh it's believable, alright."
Enna gave a sarcastic banter to what Gin had said. Whether it was believable or not, Gin knows that if they do come back to this store, he'll single-handedly face what was coming at him without a doubt.
While Enna continues to heal him, he turns to Enna and asks her a question.
"You know, I've heard that a boy came to your store to fight those guys. Is that true?"
"Oh, that's right! Before you arrived, that boy did try to save us."
Enna points to the boy who is down on the floor, who seemed like he was unconscious during the fight.
"So that's him?"
"Mhm. Thank goodness that he came, albeit it only took one hit to knock him out. If he hadn't prolonged those guys, we would've lost both the shop and the children."
"I see... I gotta thank him when he wakes up."
He stroked his dark-violet beard as he became curious about the boy who had attempted to save Gin's wife and children.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"Hey, kid. You're alright?"
"Huh?"
Shouya opens his eyes and he sees the large, lavender-colored wolf-man in front of him. He sees the aftermath of what happened while he passed out; some of the flowerpots were destroyed and remains were scattered on the wooden floor and the interior of the store was damaged from the fight. This had left Shouya feeling a sense of drought when he saw the outcome of the store.
The wolf-man extends his large lavender arm to him, implying that he needs a lift off of the floor.
"You're ok, boy? You were out for a couple of minutes."
"Y-Yeah. I'm alright."
Shouya grabs the wolf man's large meaty hand and he lifts himself off the floor.
Wow! His fur is actually soft, and fluffy, too!
Even though wolf-man's arm is very muscular, it is layered with short lavender fur on top of it. There was also a creamy white fur on both his palms and the front part of his upper body. It feels very soft and smooth to the touch. Shouya had felt animal fur before, so it's nothing new to him. But an actual living beast human's fur is something he has never felt before. So this is his first time experiencing what a beast human's fur feels like.
After being lifted off from the floor, with the help from the large wolf-man, he patted Shouya on the shoulder.
"My wife told me what you did. If you haven't stalled them long enough, I would just lose my shit. So thanks. The name's Gin, by the way."
"Oh, it's Shouya. And you don't have to thank me, really. I'm not really a good fighter."
"Are you kidding? You did something that no one can do. That takes a lot of guts to face some crooks from the Blue Sharks."
"Yeah, but..."
Gin praises Shouya for his heroic act to protect his wife and children, but Shouya keeps on denying it. It's like he didn't want to be praised by his lackluster act. Even though Shouya did try to save the mother and the children from harm, he doesn't want to be praised for something he lacks.
"I think you were cool."
A voice just spoke to Shouya. It was a little boy, clinging to Gin's leg. Right next to him is his sister, who is holding Gin's other leg. Looking at them up close, Shouya can see a clear look of the children.
The little boy has a dog-like frame just like his father. But unlike his father, Gin, the wolf boy's muzzle is smaller, a frame that is almost shaped like a puppy. As for the little girl; she has a similar facial structure as her mother: Human-like face, dog-like ears and tail, and long hair just like her mother's.
The differing factors of both wolf children are that the sister is slightly older than his brother—by two years, give or take—and their hair color is different; the dog girl's hair, ears, and tail color is the same color as her father while the wolf boy's fur color is the same as color his mother.
It comes to show that beast-humans can actually breed the same way humans can in this world as the genes from their respective parents are spread into their DNA.
As both of Gin's children are thanking Shouya while they're trying to hold back their tears. It's like they are going to start crying at any moment.
"Yeah, you were very brave."
"W-Without you, our home would've been destroyed."
"Hey now, don't cry you two. Your daddy is right here."
Gin pats both of his children on their heads to ease their sadness before they can burst into tears.
"Sounds like they took a liking to you, huh Shouya?"
"I mean, I guess... Anyways, my name is Shouya. What are your names?"
"J-Jakki. That's my sister, Gina."
Oh man, how can I say no to those faces?
As the wolf children introduce themselves, Shouya can't help it but sees their adorable puppy-like faces. He crouches down to the wolf children's face level and he pats them on their heads.
"But yeah, your dad is right. You don't have to worry. I'll promise that as long as I'm here, I'll protect your family."
Man, I can't believe I said the cheesiest line. It's so bad that I wanna die.
"Y-You really mean it?"
"No! I mean, yes! I mean, man, there's so many things wrapping around my head."
"Maybe that guy has knocked you senseless. Why not stay here for the night?"
He offers Shouya that he can stay the night in their home. That is rather a generous offer that Jin put up. Since Shouya's money was stolen by Clugil, he doesn't have the money to buy food or stay another night at Gunther's inn, so staying in Gin's place is the only choice that Shouya has left.
"Are you sure if that is alright to let a stranger stay the night over at your place? I mean, we've only just met."
"You did try to save my wife and children, it's the least I can do to offer you something."
"You don't really have to, honest. I mean, is it all right with your wife and children?"
"Oh, we don't mind having you staying in our place. We insist."
Aside from Shouya and Gin, the dog-eared woman, Enna—who is also Gin's wife—takes part in the conversation and offers him to stay at their place as well.
"Can he stay mama?"
"Yeah mister, please stay."
Even the kids too?
Not only is the mother begging for Shouya to stay, but the siblings are also begging him to stay. The family really wants Shouya to stay at their place. Shouya can only sigh as he has no choice but to accept the offer.
"Alright, I guess I can stay for the night."
Gin wraps his arm behind Shouya's neck whilst the siblings cheered as they heard him accept the offer.
"Then it's settled! C'mon, let's make some tasty grub!"
"I can help out with cooking if you want."
"Oh, you don't have to do that, I can take care of the cooking. But thank you for the kind offer. But I do need help with something. Can you help me clean this place?"
"Oh, sure!"
While Enna declines Shouya's assistance to help her with cooking, she offers him help around the store. Shouya accepts it and helps her with cleaning the store. As much as Shouya would've liked to appreciate the hospitality that was given to him, he couldn't help but feel an unpleasant feeling. But he decides to shrug it off and enjoy the moment.
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
"Dammit, dammit, dammit! I can't believe I lost to that dog-faced bastard?! He can go to hell for all I care! And that slut that was with him too!"
Some time had passed since Clugil and his gang raided Gin's store and got their butt kicked by Jin. Clugil and two of his members, Touya and the unconscious Raiji, escaped from the store and ran into the alley.
Suffered from humiliation, Clugil angrily kicks the dirt from the ground and kicks an empty can in front of him to the other side of the alley.
"But that boy... If he hadn't interfered, we would have done a clean sweep! If I get a chance to see him again, I'm going to choke him to death!"
"Uhh, sir?"
"Then I chop off his arms, his legs, his tail, and his head and feed them to the pack of wolves and sell his organs to the black market!!"
"Sir..."
"And as for that bastard, Gin. I've always hated his kindness! I want to turn his fur into my coat and hunt down every last member of his race. Then I'll kill his slut and sell their kids as slaves—"
"Sir Clugil!"
"WHAT!?"
Touya's ears folded back as Clugil shouted with the top of his lungs at Touya with saliva crawling down from his mouth. He was only trying to get Clugil's attention, but he ended up getting yelled at by him.
"—Ah!"
After looking at Touya, with a depressed look on his face, he realizes that his anger is getting into him; he couldn't help but feel regret. Clugil takes out a napkin from his coat and wipes the saliva from his mouth. Then he calmly took a deep breath and looked back at Touya.
"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. It was a habit of mine getting to my head again. Anyways, what is it?"
"While we were running away from the place, I've been thinking about how we're gonna tell the boss about this."
"Ah, right.
Him
..."
Clugil places his fingers on his chin and strokes his imaginary beard as he is trying to come up with an idea of how he is going to tell his
boss
. If Clugil's
boss
hears the situation about what happened at Jin's store and failed their mission, he would give justice to them that Clugil and his minions wouldn't want to imagine.
As agitated he is now, Clugil is afraid to return to his boss to report what went on at the store.
"If we tell him and hear about this, we're as good as dead! If we quit now, he'll send hitmen to come and kill us! And this was my only last chance. I can't afford to lose another!"
"Ugh... What happened?"
While Clugil continues to argue to himself, Raiji, who was knocked out during the conversation, starts to regain consciousness. Touya lays Raiji from his shoulder to the ground.
"Oh, good! You're awake, Raiji."
"Yeah. That guy got me good. That wolf guy got some moves, it was unbelievable. Anyways, did we beat him?"
As Raiji asks Clugil a question, Clugil looks down at the ground with an awkward look on his face. Raiji turns his eyes to Touya and he sees him giving the same reaction. Raiji takes notice of this and he slams his fist to the ground.
"Tsk! Damnit! Sorry boss. If only he hadn't knocked me out, if I would've been stronger and my weakness hadn't gotten in the way, it'll be goodnight for him."
"Hey, it's not your fault."
"Yeah, man. You've at least tried your best. Hate to admit it, but you fight better than me. That scar isn't just for show, it was a gift. Believe me, I know."
Clugil pats Raiji's shoulders as Touya tries to cheer up his partner from his defeat against Jin. Then, Clugil snaps his fingers as if he has an idea—or rather, a scheme.
"I think I've come up with a solution, and I know how we are going to handle this."
"Uhh, sir..."
"Huh, what is it?"
"They're here."
When Raiji warns Clugil what was coming, he and Touya turn their attention to who Raiji was pointing at. They see two men that are in front of them.
One is a slender short pale-skinned elf with messy hair, who is around the same height as Clugil. He is dressed in dark-red clothes, a dark-blue scarf, and wears a black mask that covers his mouth, leaving only his eyes visible.
The other is a dark-green scaled lizardman with a raggy shirt and pants. He is a foot shorter than Touya and has a very muscular build, but unlike his elf friend, the lizardman is missing an entire left arm up to the shoulder from his body. In place of his missing limb, he was given a long copper-coated metal arm that is attached by the shoulder. Even if he can't feel it, he can still move, lift, and pick up things with it.
As they approach the thievish trio, Clugil gives a low growl at them, as if they are that kind of people that they don't want to meet.
"What do you guys want?"
"Oh nothin'. We were just mindin' our own business until we heard that some of our familiar members got their asses beat, so we just thought it would be yer guys' weak ass. I knew that ya three are a complete joke!"
Word had gone out in the city that Clugil, Touya, and Raiji had been defeated by the likes of Jin. So not only the civilians had heard of this, but also other members of the Blue Sharks, too.
As the lizardman throws out some words to their fellow thug's members with some strange accent of his, Clugil responds to him and rebuttals to his comment.
"Yeah, we got our asses beat. So what? It's not like we lost a
limb
or anything."
"What the hell did ya just say?!"
The lizardman's attitude changes his expression from cocky to angry from Clugil's comment. Given the context of what Clugil had said, it makes sense for him to be angry.
Before the lizardman is about to charge head-in to Clugil to pick a fight, the elf raises his hand in front of him, making him not engage in any combat.
"At ease, Pugar! We did not come here to fight, we came to give you a message."
"A message? From who?"
"From Vikov himself."
"The boss?!"
Both Touya and Raiji were surprised when the pale-skinned elf called out the name. To Clugil's crew, Vikov is the leader of the Blue Sharks and the one who pulls the strings that cause havoc in Vincilos. He's in charge of sending his men to go to people's homes and wreck things if they don't have the money. Anyone who dares defy or betrays the Blue Sharks will be killed.
Even upon hearing the name in front of them, Clugil clicked his tongue as if he sounded rather annoyed than interested.
"So the boss himself is sending his lackeys to send me a message. Anyways, what does he want?"
"He wants the three of you to return to base. He'll need to have a word with you."
"Wait, us? What for?"
"I cannot answer that. He told us not to give out information in public. If you want answers, then it's best that you answer his call. You, Clugil Rapadota, must accept it. Refusing it will be—"
"Yeah, yeah, refusing it will be a betrayal towards the Blue Sharks and it'll lead to death, blah, blah, blah, I get it, quit your trap!"
Clugil still finds it annoying when he has to hear the same rule over and over again. No matter what he chooses, he is forced to obey his call. Clugil has no choice but to follow it through and go back to base.
"Well, you heard them. Time to head back."
As Clugil commands both Touya and Raiji to follow him, they look at each other with a troubled look on their faces, then they look back at Clugil.
"I dunno sir. This seems kinda sketchy."
"Yeah. I mean, not that I'm complaining, but don't you think that this is a bit strange?
"Well you have no other options, you'll either obey or die. That's the way the Blue Sharks work. Now c'mon, let's go."
Even though both Touya and Raiji try to tell Clugil to think it over beforehand, they are forced to go along with it. The three of them are heading to the Blue Shark's base, where the leader of the Blue Sharks is calling for them.
This Novel Contains Mature Content
Show This Chapter?
Yes |
"My sweat was dripping down from my forehead, my hands covered in blood, as I killed the three men that dared to approach me, I looked at the sky. The dark clouds from the smoke were fading away and I was finally able to see the winter sun, but at what cost?
The enemy forces pushed us back against the wall, even though we fought with honor and power, they were way higher in numbers. After all, a lion can't fight a pack of wolves..."
***
Varis was quick enough to catch the enemy's dagger which was about to thrust him through the gut, even so his strength wasn't even a match for the enemy. The dagger slowly pierced his skin and the blood began to come out of the cut. All of a sudden a small rock hit the soldier on the back of his head. When he turned around to see what it was, he saw a small child, a boy with torn up clothes holding a rock in his hand.
"What are you doing here?! This is no place for children, get lost before you get killed!" - the enemy spoke.
Boy: "LEAVE HIM ALONE! Why are you doing this?! Why can't we all just be friends?!"
As the man was distracted, Varis surprised him by pulling the knife out of his gut and stabbed him in the throat. Varis pushed the dead body aside and stood up, he caught the glance of the terrified boy, just seconds away from bursting into tears. As the boy was about to fall on his knees Varis caught him in his arms.
Varis: "Sneaking out without your parents' permission, ey slugger? You just saved my life, kid!"
Boy: "P-Please don't tell my parents, they are going to be so mad at me once they found out I ran off to help you!"
Varis: "Then I guess this will be our little secret. But please, you have to go. They are definitely looking for you and are worried sick!"
Boy: "How do you know that?"
Varis: "Parents have that superpower, no matter where our child is, we will always be there to help them, you are the reason we wake up with smiles on our faces, and when you are sick, we are sick as well. Now go, before they freak out even more!"
The boy ran off with all of his strength, stopping for just one second to look back at Varis and give him a gentle smile.
Varis reached out for something in his breast pocket, he pulled out an old piece of paper with a drawing on it. The drawing was of two stickmen, their hands raised in the air, big smiles on their faces and a beautiful rainbow in the sky.
"Wish you could've seen the rainbow one more time, Valdy..." - Varis said as he looked at the drawing.
***
As he walked amongst the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, Scorch felt a very sharp pain in his chest, as if he was about to vomit from the smell of death and the crows chewing on the ears of his comrades and enemies. He covered his nose with his elbow so that he could at least remove the smell.
The scream of somebody roared through the battlefield and eventually reached Scorch's ears.
Scorch: "A scream?"
He followed the direction of the screams when the overwhelming pressure suddenly hit him, it felt like it could crush the ground beneath and snap the trees around him, a fear so immeasurable he couldn't move for a moment.
Scorch: "What is this?! What kind of monster has such power?!"
He brushed off the branches of the trees only to witness the horrific scene of Samuel getting decapitated right in front of his eyes. That same pressure he felt earlier illuminated in bright red from the commander's body, time felt as if it was moving in slow motion and the colors had disappeared. Samuel's head slowly rolled towards Scorch and he couldn't help, but scream. The commander of the enemy's army turned around and stared at him with the same terrifying eyes.
???: "I was beginning to think you are dead..."
Scorch gently closed his eyes and all of his fear disappeared, as he opened them they burned with the light of a thousand flames, so fearless, but yet so emotionless, they looked so much like the terrifying foe in front of him.
???: "There they are..."
Scorch: "Hm?"
???: "You had the same eyes as when you killed her, the eyes of a monster who has no sense of pleasure, not sadness..."
Scorch: "Her? Who are you talking about?"
???: "You really don't remember me? I was with her when you took the only money we had back then, she tried to be civil about this, but then you killed her... Ripped her heart out and showed no emotion while doing it."
Scorch: "So you must be that kid who was with Charlotte?"
???: "The name is Zephyr and yes I am Charlotte's brother. I stood there and watched as you mercilessly killed her, your eyes were so empty it was like you had no piece of humanity left in you."
Scorch: "Your sister killed mine, I wasn't going to just stand there and watch, I was so swallowed by anger, I couldn't stop myself. I wanted revenge..."
Zephyr: "That's why you and I have the same eyes, we come from the same tree of vengeance, we are forbidden from living a normal life and follow only the path that leads to even more suffering."
With a soulless expression, Scorch bent over to grab something from the ground.
Scorch: "So you and I are the same huh? Then tell me..."
He plucked a beautiful yellow flower from the ground, as he lifted it, he pointed it towards Zephyr, his mouth shaped in a thin smirk and said in a calm, warm voice.
Scorch: "... Do you like flowers?"
Zephyr stumbled in surprise from his question, then answered with certainty.
Zephyr: "I don't."
Scorch: "That's a shame. You know what I found fascinating about flowers? It's that they simply exist to make our world a little more beautiful, they are not like us humans. We only exist to poison this planet and drown it in our own blood. But I still have hope for humanity, I'm hoping that one day I can create a world where we can all be just like flowers."
Zephyr: "That's quite foolish, if you ask me. You can't seriously expect everyone to become good just because you want them to."
Scorch: "I'm aware of that fact, some of us are too far gone into the deep end, but even a flower drowned in blood can still bloom and turn into something beautiful. I've killed many men throughout the years, I've drowned in their blood, and yet that is still the flower I'm trying to become!"
Zephyr: "That doesn't mean all those people you killed are justified, you will rot in hell, just like I am! Alissia would have been so disappointed..."
Scorch: "I know..."
Faster than the sound could reach him, Zephyr summoned a sword in his hand and charged at him, their weapons clashed in one another as Scorch blocked that powerful blow with his katana.
Scorch: "I figured you are a mage, since you were able to block that bullet earlier." - He said as his arms and eyes were shaking from the pressure.
Zephyr: "You know that and yet you still fight, a normal human competing against a mage?!"
Scorch: "How is your sister then?"
Suddenly the blades which Zephyr summoned felt like they were coming from every direction, they were moving so fast, he was barely able to dodge them. Cuts all over his body and that stinging pain which never seemed to go away, Scorch waited for his next attack. Just as he was standing in front of him, Zephyr disappeared for a mere moment, Scorch felt the sudden gust of wind coming from behind, luckily he was quick enough to stay away from that piercing blade aiming for his torso. He thrusted his katana, so close to stabbing Zephyr in the throat, but he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying, crashing into the nearby trees. He slowly walked out trying to stop the bleeding on his shoulder.
The battlefield was the pure definition of hell on Earth, the enemy forces had open fire on the Edessians, those who managed to survive were still fighting for their lives and their kingdom, but it was all pointless, they were fighting with a hundred men against six hundred. Scorch observed the sad scene as he held his shoulder, blood coming down from his forehead and cuts all over his body. He smiled gently, knowing that this might be where his journey ends. Zephyr wiped the blood from his sword as he spoke in a calm tone.
Zephyr: "Are you ready to pay for your sins?"
Scorch: "Not quite... Tell me something, Zephyr. When we first met, you were in Allenwall, the capital of the Edessa Kingdom, but you were born in Gates, am I right?"
Zephyr: "Why do you care?"
Scorch: "What were you doing there? How did the guards allow you to enter the city during the war with your kingdom? Every foreigner should be forbidden from entering the city, but you just so happened to be there at the right time..."
Zephyr: "Hmm fine, you deserve to know the answer. Do you know why people hunt down those with magical abilities? We mages are born with a unique mutation mixed with the supernatural, this mutation crystalizes one part of our bodies; it could be an eye, a limb, or even a heart. In my case that's my kidneys. Those crystalized organs are extremely expensive on the black market. We are forced to live a life in a constant fear that we might get killed just for business, that's what happened to our parents, they were killed by pirates in order to sell their organs and become rich. Charlotte, as my older sister took me in her hands and we ran far away. I don't feel bad for my old man, he was a terrible person, using his power in order to torture my mom every time she disobeyed his commands, it was... Wrong! Well sometime passed and we ended up in Allenwall, we charmed the guards to let us in, but I guess you just can't run away from the devil. You know what happened next..."
Upon hearing this story Scorch's eyes filled with sadness and empathy, he looked down at the ground with a smile on his face.
Scorch: "It's funny how cruel and unforgiving we humans can be, how sometimes we steal and murder in order to survive. But tell me..."
The city gates opened far in the distance, from them thousands of citizens, men, women and children emerged, they were all wearing torches, stones, sticks, axes and whatever they could find in their homes. Their numbers were so overwhelming the enemy forces fled back as soon as they saw the fire in their eyes. Those innocent people were ready to sacrifice their life for their city, but they were not ready to be someone's slave.
Scorch: "... aren't we beautiful?"
The innocent people, those who have no power in this war, they all charged at the enemy as one, in order to protect what's precious for them. What is more beautiful than that?
Zephyr: "I guess your words really make a difference, you could've been a great leader..."
Scorch: "I guess we'll never know. Anyway, I think we talked enough." - He closed his eyes and pointed his katana towards the opponent, a thin smile appeared on his face as he said those words.
Zephyr: "This is the end of your path."
The smokey clouds casted a thin shadow upon the battlefield, though there were still a few places with beams of light falling gently on the ground, the time appeared to be moving slower as Zephyr and Scorch clashed one last time.
"I know I'm about to face my doom, and that these are my final moments on this planet..."
Scorch swung his sword, aiming for Zephyr's head, though he managed to block his attacks he swung again and again, until Zephyr kicked him in the stomach, Scorch bent over from the pain. Just as he was vulnerable, Zephyr grabbed Scorch's arm and with all of the strength of his knee he shattered his arm bones. The scream that came from Scorch's mouth was like nothing a normal human has ever heard. A scream so loud and painful it could deafen the birds around him, but yet no one heard his struggles and no one came to help him. He fell on the ground in defeat, his whole body was shaking and the heavy pain in his arm was immeasurable.
"...I have made many mistakes, of which I regret none..."
Zephyr backed away for a second, thinking that the battle was over. His face filled with shock and fear as he saw that his opponent got up on both of his legs and with a shaking hand he grabbed his sword, but what truly shocked him was the smile on his face, a happy smile empty of every regret or rage.
Zephyr: "How could you still be smiling after such a brutal injury?!" - A drop of sweat fell from his face.
Scorch: "A man once told me that those who die without a smile on their face have lived a life full of regret. That's why I want to die knowing that I lived the life I wanted to. So, are you ready to finish this?" - He smiled gently with his eyes closed.
As he pointed his blade forward it shattered to pieces, only leaving the handle in his hand. He looked down at the broken sword.
"... I have faced fear many times, but I would gladly walk next to it once again..."
Zephyr teleported right next to him and just like before he destroyed the bones of his other arm, but this time Scorch didn't even blink, he just stood there and stared at the ground before he swung his leg and kicked Zephyr in the face, he dropped on the ground, his face covered in mud and blood, he looked at him with that same emotionless expression.
Zephyr: "Just what the hell are you?!"
Scorch: "I'm nothing more than just a human."
"...Am I strong? No, I'm not. If I was strong, then I would've shown those close to me how I really felt, but instead covered my true face with a smiling mask and pretended everything was okay..."
As he aimed once again for Zephyr's head, a blade pierced his heart, the blood spilled from his mouth, his knees gently touching the ground as he stared at him.
Zephyr: "Do you have any last words?"
The wide smug returned to his face, he said the following words in a calm, amusing tone, as if he was mocking him: "... So this is how your sister felt when I killed her?".
For the first time in his life Zephyr felt genuinely angry, his eyes filled with rage as he punched Scorch in the face and continued punching him until he was drowning in his own blood.
Zephyr: "Your foolish decisions have led you to this point! IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH AN IDIOT YOU COULD'VE LIVED!!! WHY DID YOU THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY?! ANSWER ME!!!"
...
Zephyr: "I'm not going to waste my time with a dead man..."
Zephyr walked away from the scene into the woods and fled the battlefield in defeat.
"... Despite everything I've been through, all I wish for is a second chance. I couldn't fulfill my promise to you, Alissia. You died in vain, I'm so sorry!" |
It felt like I was swimming in an ocean of blood, when I looked at the sky in the twilight, the red sun was just beneath the horizon when I felt like something was moving beneath the "water", then something grabbed my foot and pulled me down, the last thing I heard before I woke up was the growling of an animal...
***
He slowly opened his eyes, thinking that maybe he was waking up in the afterlife, but when he looked up he saw the crumbling roof over his head. Scorch let out a light sigh as he realized he was still breathing. He slowly got up and looked around, he was in some sort of abandoned house made out of wood with an old fashioned style, located in the middle of a big flower field, surrounded with mountains as far as the eyes can see. He was lying on a medical bed and the table next to him was full with bloodied scalpels and scissors.
Scorch: "Oh god please tell me this is some kind of a joke..."
It took him a minute or two to realize that his arms were no longer broken, he looked down to check them out. They were tied up together and covered in bandages with stains of blood all over them. A knock echoed throughout the empty room, Scorch jumped out of fear and took a defense position. The door slowly opened and from it an old man, wearing a lab coat emerged. The man was around his sixties, barely had any hair, his eyes had the tired look of somebody who has seen a lot, nothing really stuck out that much, except the fact that he only had one leg, the other one was cut off and replaced by one made out of steel.
"Oh it looks like you are finally awake! I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up-" - he said in a friendly tone before Scorch interrupted him.
Scorch: "Stay back!" - Scorch grabbed one of the scalpels from the table next to him with his mouth, since he couldn't move his arms, then said in a vicious tone. "Where am I? Who are you?"
The old man stumbled a bit out of fear and said reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.. the man who did this to you is not here. I'm trying to help you!" The man took a few steps closer as if he was talking to an animal.
Scorch: "You didn't answer my question!"
"My name is Foalan... I'm a s..s-scientist. And right now I'm the only friend you have. When I saw you on the battlefield your heart was barely beating, I could feel that it was full of anger and sadness, which is what I think kept you alive, your regrets that you couldn't live the life you wanted, begging for a second chance. And it looks like fate has decided that you should receive a second chance and I saved you! But oh god you were in a terrible shape, your heart was severely damaged, you were losing so much blood and the bones in your arms were shattered to pieces."
Scorch: "So you just so happened to walk by? And how did you even heal me from such brutal injuries? Are you some sort of mage?"
Foalan: "A mage? Unfortunately I'm not blessed with the gift. I had to perform a very dangerous surgery, piece the bones one by one and strengthen them with steel, so that you can still use them, but if they break one more time it's all over for them. As for your heart, I had to replace it with a modified one, a heart mixed with modern technology. It's the prototype made to prevent cancer, so in order to save you, I had to replace your original one."
"He completely ignored my first question..." - Scorch thought to himself.
Suddenly a little fox girl entered the room, she looked no older than 12 years old, she had two big pointy ears, long strawberry red hair that ran down to her waist, of which three fluffy tails were coming out of.
The girl: "Is everything okay, Foalan? - she said in a concerned way with her ears pointed down.
Foalan: "Everything is okay, Rally. He didn't hurt me and he is not going to hurt you." - He patted her head.
Rally: "But that man looks so scary, are you sure he is not going to hurt us?" - She said as she covered her face in Foalan's coat.
The way the girl looked so terrified of Scorch was enough to show him that he needed to calm down, he felt bad deep down in his new heart and wanted to make her relax as well. He crouched down to her height and leaned towards her, she stepped back out of fear, but then he smiled warmly and said.
Scorch: "Sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean to. I just got a little excited because you have something very important stuck in your ear..."
Rally: "What, where?!"
Scorch: "It's right here..."
He leaned behind her ears, but when he leaned backwards he was balancing a golden coin on his nose and made a funny face with his eyes looking at the coin. The fox girl looked amazed by what Scorch did and stared at him with admiration and amazement.
Rally: "That coin was inside my ear the whole time?!"
Scorch: "That's not just any coin, legends say that If you throw it in a well it's going to make anything you wish come true! Take it, it's yours."
Rally: "Ahhh thank you so much, mister! I will go do it right away!"
Scorch: "Remember, it's only going to come true if you really believe in it!"
The girl nodded and ran outside to throw the coin in the well. Foalan gazed directly at Scorch's eyes and smiled proudly.
Foalan: "You handled that well, do you have a little sister or a daughter? Most men your age already have a family."
Scorch: "Yeah, actually, I have neither." - He giggled.
Foalan: "I see, that's okay, take one step at a time. But I can notice that you are a pretty good actor, am I right?" - Foalan said with a big mysterious smile on his face.
Scorch raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" He asked.
Foalan: "Oh it's just that the way you move, the way you look, the way you smile, the way you laugh, I can see that you are a happy person. But I can also see that those emotions are not genuine..."
As Foalan said those words, Scorch's expression turned ice cold, his arms were shaking and he just stared at him.
Scorch: "How did you know?" - He asked coldly.
Foalan: "I can tell when somebody is truly happy or not. The little wrinkles that appear on the side of their eyes when they smile, the way the body flows much more naturally through the air and how your eyes shine, they are all indicators that somebody is happy. However, when I look at your eyes they just feel empty, your movements are forced and your smile is not genuine, why are you pretending?"
Scorch: "I guess there really is no point in trying to deny that, eh?" - He smiled gently as he looked at the ground. "It's been a while since I felt true happiness..."
Foalan: "Why are you hiding your true feelings then? Are you perhaps afraid that somebody will judge you?"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly felt gloomy, unpleasant, cold and dark. The wooden floor beneath their feet quietly cracked, the wind outside started to pick up and created a roaring sound. Scorch's voice filled with sadness and a thin grin appeared on his face as he began to speak from his heart.
Scorch: "I'm not afraid that somebody will judge me, I just have no reason to smile, it doesn't have to do with anything material, it's just that I've been through so many things that even if I tell somebody about them, they will need a therapist after that. I simply do not want to bother anyone with my own problems because they are not important, nobody cares, if I talk about it I will change absolutely nothing and they will see me as weak.
I pretend to smile because I know It makes people feel comfortable, despite how painful it is to me. In my core I'm nothing but a coward who's afraid of showing his true feelings and hides behind a smiling mask.
"Should I tell them?"
"Would they pity me if they knew?"
"They are just going to think that I'm a coward or something, it would be best if I keep quiet, am I right?"
Those questions always repeat on the back of my mind in a never-ending loop. I tried to stop them one time, but I failed..."
Foalan: "You tried to commit suicide?"
Scorch: "...I have..."
Foalan: "What made you change your mind?"
Scorch: "I guess I wasn't ready to die yet... I wanted to survive so that my ideals, that I have sacrificed so much for, don't go to waste. The war so far has taken so much from me and I know if somebody doesn't do anything about it, more and more people are going to suffer just the same way I did. I want to redeem myself and avenge my sister, so that I actually have a purpose in this world..."
Foalan wrapped his hands around his shoulders, placed the palm of his hand on Scorch's head, closed his eyes and just allowed the warmth to spread across his body as he said with a proud smile on his face. Rally watched from around the corner curiously as Foalan began to speak.
Foalan: "Listen to me, boy! You are still young, you will come across all kinds of pain and suffering. The fact that you still have the will to fight is incredible! Most people would have given up on life if they were you. You are not weak! If someone punches you in the face you fight back, am I right? Then what's the difference between the attacker and life? There isn't! If life punches you, guess what? You fight back! It's as simple as that. Sometimes you have to remember that there is more to life than just sunshine and rainbows. We go through pain, battles and heartbreaks, but at the end of the day the only choice we have is to keep moving forward and learn from the pain. Pain is what makes someone strong, just because you have been through so much that doesn't mean that you are weak, it means that you are stronger than those who haven't felt any. You deserve to live because you have a heart of gold, something that this world is in desperate need of.
I see that you are holding back your tears... Please go ahead and cry, crying is the way that humans deal with pain, is it not?"
The moment he heard those words Scorch took a deep breath and the tears flooded his eyes, he leaned on Foalan's shoulder and just allowed them to flow into his clothes. Seeing a grown man like him cry like that was truly heartbreaking.
"I almost felt like my heart was pierced by a thousand needles, my chest felt heavy and it was like I couldn't breathe. I don't know why I allowed myself to cry like that in front of a stranger, but there was just something in his words that truly made me feel emotional and released all that pain I stored inside of me all at once. At this point I don't even know for how long I cried. Maybe an hour... or two? But he never left my side, he just stood there and allowed me to cry without saying a single word. The whole experience felt like I was a little kid and my father was trying to comfort me because I got injured. Eventually I stopped crying and I genuinely smiled for the first time in fifteen years..."
Scorch: "I don't know if I can even repay you, sir! You saved my life and made me feel true happiness, is there even a price to that?"
Foalan: "Please, you don't have to repay me for anything! I'm just looking after the young ones, after all you are the future of this world!" He smiled mysteriously. "But I'm afraid I can't let you go just yet, your arms still haven't healed completely, but that's all little Rally can do for a girl at her age."
Rally rushed inside the room and jumped straight into Scorch's chest to give him a warm hug.
Scorch: "Are you really the one who healed my arms?!" - Scorch smiled and patted her head.
Rally: "Foalan did most of the work, he was the one who pieced your arms back together, It was my blood who made it possible to use them again." - She blushed.
Foalan: "Rally is a Kitsune, a forest fox spirit that takes the form of a girl. Her blood possesses extraordinary healing abilities, though they haven't fully developed yet. We gave you a large amount of her blood to heal you."
Scorch: "I'm going to be able to use them again?!"
Foalan: "You will be able to use your arms just like normal, but I have to warn you, once you break them again, there will be absolutely no way for us to heal them."
Scorch: "Why can't I just drink some of her blood again?"
Foalan: "Because it weakens every time it's used on the same person, meaning it will gradually get worse for your body, until the effects become deadly."
Scorch: "I see, well I guess I'm going to stay here until I'm ready to leave."
Foalan: "I also have new clothes for you and a new sword, when you are ready to leave. Your old ones were pretty messed up so you can have the new ones."
Scorch followed him to the next room where a red, leather jacket sat comfortably on top of a mannequin. The jacket was short; it only reached beneath the chest area, completely made out of red leather. It looked quite stylish and nice to look at, together with the black t-shirt beneath that showed off his muscles and served as armor.
As for the sword, it resembled a long katana, that shined brightly from light and it was as clean as a mirror, while the handle was entirely made out of steel with a black and white handle thread.
Scorch: "How did you get this stuff?"
Foalan's expression changed, he had a thin grin on his face that seemed to be forced.
Foalan: "They... They used to be my son's, he was a very ambitious young boy around your age, he wanted to fight in the war for the same reasons as you. I guess that's why I saved you, because you reminded me of him. He passed away in a battle not long ago. I want you to take them, so that you can honor his sacrifice and make him know that his legacy still lives on even after he died. You see, this isn't a gift, it's a request."
Scorch: "What was his name?"
Foalan: "...Akio..."
Scorch: "Very well, I'm going to honor Akio by wearing his clothes. You have done so much for me today, it's the least I can do!"
Two days passed after Scorch was rescued by the mysterious man. Throughout those days, where he couldn't move his arms because of the bandages, he was fed by Rally and tried his best to help around with the housework. Eventually he regained his control over his arms and the bandages were finally untied. When he took a good look at them he was disguised by the scars all over his previously beautiful arms. They were filthy, painted in red from the blood and looked like little white snakes wrapped around his arms. Foalan saw his expression so he handed him over another bandage.
Scorch: "What's that for?"
Foalan: "To hide them up, you can't reverse what happened, but you also don't have to look at them all the time."
Scorch let out a deep sigh before he wrapped the bandages around his hands to cover the scars, but he was still able to use them like normal. He put on the new outfit and rolled the sleeves up to his elbows so that he could show off the bandages.
Foalan: "Is it time?"
Scorch: "(sigh) I'm afraid it is, I can't just sit around and relax while more and more people are dying in the war."
Foalan: "Ahh always trying to be a hero, eh? Trust me there's nothing wrong with wanting to accomplish something good, but my son died just because he had that same hero complex as you do. Try not to get blinded by your pride or you will die just like he did."
Scorch: "I will take your advice to heart. Thank you for everything, sir! I will never forget your kindness!" - He bowed lightly.
Foalan: "You are welcome, kid! Now go, time is short and before you realize it, you will be my age and you will be the one helping the young ones!"
Scorch smiled before shaking his hand and leaving, as he got further away he turned around and waved goodbye at Foalan, who stood there and watched him like a proud father watching his son.
Foalan: "Foolish kid..." |
The two associates of the Allenwall Mafia entered the underboss's office, where he was sitting comfortably on his chair behind his desk, smoking a cigarette and talking to his assistant. His appearance was quite menacing, he had no hair and no facial hair, his eyes were yellow and piercing. For attire he wore a black suit, a white striped shirt beneath and a red tie around his neck.
His office had a vintage look, the furniture was made entirely of wood, the air was filled with smoke from his cigarette and it had no windows, since it was located underground.
As for the associates, they were both around the same age and wearing matching outfits; a long, black, untied blazer that reached just beneath their ankles, their sleeves were rolled up to their elbows, a grey vest above their white shirts and a black necktie.
The associate standing on the right was wearing an eye patch on his right eye, he had short, dark blond hair, shaped like a messy quiff. He was lean, but quite muscular and tall for his age.
The other associate was a bit taller than the other, he had short, chocolate brown, straight hair, his bangs framed his face and kept a strand in the middle. He had a slander physique and not much muscle to show.
Underboss: "I see my little strays have returned..." The Underboss spoke in a calm voice. "How did it go, uh what were your names again?"
"It's Bear. Bear and Scorch..." - The Associate on the left said calmly.
Underboss: "Right, so how did the job go?"
Scorch: "It was a trap! After the client checked the stock, he put a gun against my head, luckily I was able to disarm him before he pulled the trigger, then a bunch of guys showed up, they were a bit of a pain in the ass, but in the end we taught them a lesson. They shouldn't be a problem anymore."
The underboss took the package with the money, pulled 100R out of his pocket and gave it to them.
Underboss: "Split them equally!"
Bear: "I thought we agreed for 500R each..."
Underboss: "Those suits you are wearing, they are not free, also I agreed to take you under my wing, so when I protect you, you are going to live under my rules! Did I make myself perfectly clear?"
Bear: "Yes, sir!"
Underboss: "Good because I have another job for you..."
Scorch: "What is it?"
The underboss shifted his gaze towards his assistant.
Underboss: "Jaid, let's not keep our guests thirsty."
Jaid: "Of course, sir!"
The assistant reached out for a bottle of whiskey.
Underboss: "Do you think I would serve minors alcohol?"
Jaid: "Of course not, sir! I apologize for my ignorance!"
She served the two associates some water and they both took a sip from it.
Underboss: "...About two months ago we made a deal with a local banker for 30kg of pure Crimson Shards. He was supposed to pay us about 50 000R for them, this would've been one of the biggest deals the world has ever seen, however the bastard refuses to pay us, I asked him nicely a couple of times, but he gets violent, his guards even beated me up once. I need someone to teach him not to mess with the most notorious mafia in the world..."
Scorch: "Why don't you just send a bunch of your bigger men to handle the job?"
Underboss: "Because It will be an overkill, the banker is fat and lazy, it will be an easy job for you. Listen, I'm giving you a chance to rise up through our ranks and if you do a good job you can keep one percent of the money."
Bear: "Wow you are so generous!" - Bear spoke in a sarcastic tone.
Underboss: "Mind your manners if you want to survive in this business!"
Bear: "I apologize for that, sir! But where can we find the stock?"
Underboss: "It's kept in his office beneath his bank on Street 56, it's going to be full with guards so keep your guns loaded."
Scorch: "Anything else you can tell us?"
Underboss: "Where's the fun in knowing everything? I believe you can figure something out once you get there, after that meet us at the abandoned boathouse just outside the city. Now get out of my sight!"
They slowly got up from their seats, turned around and left the room. As the door was closing behind Scorch, he looked at the underboss with a playful grin on his face.
The associates took a carriage to the bank on Street 56 and made their way through the empty night streets of Allenwall.
Bear: "Do you know for how long we've been doing jobs for the mafia?"
Scorch: "About two months. But honestly I can't wait for the next job."
Bear: "(sigh) We first must complete this one, but we've gone a long way, haven't we?"
Scorch: "What do you mean?"
Bear: "...We've gone a long way since we met, remember? Years ago when a bunch of bandits were trying to pick a fight with you, so I came in and saved you?"
Scorch: "How could I forget, that was the day we became friends. Oh or the time you tried to flirt with this really cute noble girl, even though she was completely out of your league hahahaha!"
Bear: "I wasn't flirting with her, you idiot!" - Bear turned around to hide the blush on his face.
"Oh,my dear, you are so beautiful even the stars melt in your presence! I'm so lucky to meet an angel like you!" - Scorch childishly imitated what Bear said that day.
Bear: "I didn't say that! I was just trying to be nice to her, that's not flirting!" - his whole face turned red from the blush.
Scorch: "Then explain why she slapped you in the face after you got on your knees and proposed to her hehe..."
Bear: "YOU IDIOT!" - Bear punched Scorch in the face and knocked him out of the carriage.
Scorch: "I don't regret anything!"
Soon they arrived at the bank, parked the carriage in a nearby alleyway and moved to the back entrance of the building, unfortunately there were two guards guarding the door, one scouting the area and the other one standing next to the door.
Scorch: "Don't kill anybody, remember?"
Bear: "Don't worry about it, we got each other's backs, right?"
Bear jumped over the fence, they were hiding behind, charged at the guard who was scouting the area, as bear closed the distance he kicked the guard in the knee, the guard leaned down from the pain and Bear used that opportunity to knock him out by punching him in the face with an uppercut. The other guard noticed him and was about to shoot him with a gun, however Scorch knocked his weapon down with a non-lethal bullet, which was enough to confuse the guard for a split second, then Bear finished him off with a kick to the face.
Scorch: "Jumping into a fight without a plan? That's a bit out of character for you..."
Bear: "I had a plan, I knew the guard would try to shoot me once he saw me and I also knew that you would save me just in time, so thank you, partner!"
Scorch: "I did it because it would've been a pain to explain this to the boss!"
Bear: "Haha yeah, sure..."
They quickly tied up the guards so that they couldn't move and entered the building, while making their way through the hallways they noticed something strange, there was nobody defending the place besides the guards from earlier. Soon they walked into the main hall, a giant room made entirely from gold and quartz. The banker stood right in the middle of the room, surrounded by five of his men and their pistols pointed at the boys.
Banker: "Well well, what do we have here? I was expecting the most notorious mafia in the world to send an entire army for me, and look what I got, just two poor boys doing their dirty work!"
Scorch: "We don't have to do this, just pay up and no one will get hurt!"
Banker: "NO, NO, NO, I WON'T!"
The banker's nose began to bleed, as he shot directly at Scorch's head, but the bullet barely missed, it only got close enough to leave a scratch on his face.
Banker: "I don't want to pay, THESE ARE MY MONEY, MINE, MINE, MINE, MINE!"
The men began to fire shots at them, but they took cover behind the desk, which was made out of stone.
Bear: "What's wrong with this guy, he is a banker, he should be able to pay!"
Scorch: "He is not thinking clearly, noticed right before he shot at me? His nose began to bleed and it was black blood, he is under the influence of that drug."
Bear: "Got any ideas, smartass?"
Scorch: "Just watch and learn, idiot!"
While they were talking to each other, the banker ran to his office and locked himself there, so that they couldn't reach him. His men kept firing shots at them, but they all missed, soon they ran out of bullets in their magazines. In that split second where everyone was reloading, Scorch jumped out from their cover and shot one guard in the forehead with a non-lethal bullet. Bear rushed the two guys next to him, one of the men tried to punch him in the head, but Bear dodged it by leaning down and shot the man in the stomach multiple times, then striking the man next to him in the neck, which instantly put him to sleep.
With a chair in his hands the guard aimed directly for Scorch's head, he avoided his attack, grabbed the chair from his hand and broke it in his face. Meanwhile the guy next to them was reloading and just as he was about to shoot, Scorch knocked his pistol out of his hand, leaving him defenseless.
Guard: "How is this possible?! Are you really from the mafia?!"
Scorch: "Not exactly..."
Scorch punched the man so hard in the head, he fell down on the ground unconscious.
Scorch: "Hey, loser!"
Bear: "What is it?"
Scorch: "Hehe you are responding to "loser" now?"
Bear: "What do you want?!"
Scorch: "Stop being useless and tell the guys we are done here, I will go talk to our friend in his office."
Bear: "Aye aye, captain!"
Bear left the building from the front door and fired a flare up in the sky, meanwhile Scorch went down the stairs, then followed the long hallway, which led him to a locked wooden door. He could hear the sobbing of a deep male voice inside, so he knocked a couple of times.
Banker: "GO AWAY!"
Scorch: "Open up! Please, I'm not going to hurt you!"
Banker: "And how am I supposed to believe you?!"
Scorch: "Open the door or I'M going to open it! 5... 4..."
Banker: "I'M NOT GIVING YOU ANYTHING!"
Scorch: "...3...2...1... I'm coming in!"
Scorch kicked the door twice, which was enough to break the lock. As he got inside he saw the banker lying down on the floor, his eyes were as red as roses, he was crying and the rest of the room was filled with Crimson Shards. Scorch just took one step towards him and the banker pointed his gun forward. The banker's hands were shaking so much he could barely hold the pistol.
Scorch: "Go ahead, shoot me..."
Banker: "OH I WILL, DON'T GET ANY CLOSER!"
Scorch: "You mean like this?" - Scorch took a large step forward.
Banker: "I'M WARNING YOU!"
Scorch took two steps forward, kneeled down to look him in the eyes and helped him place the gun directly at his forehead.
Scorch: "Pull the trigger... do it!"
Banker: "(grunt) HAAAAAAAAAA!"
(CLICK)
Scorch: "I took the magazine y'know..." - Scorch raised his hand and showed him the magazine.
Banker: "Huh?! How did you do that?!"
Scorch: "Growing up on the street you learn a thing or two. Even though you were under the effects of the drug I knew you were a coward and it was very unlikely for you to shoot from this range, so I used that opportunity to get closer and take the mag off while you weren't looking. I also have a little surprise for you!" - he said as he pulled out of his pocket a syringe, which was designed to remove the effects of the drug and used it on him.
In a matter of seconds his eyes returned back to normal and he stopped crying.
Scorch: "That's better, now I need to ask you a question. Why didn't you just pay the mafia, as a banker you sure are not poor?"
Banker: "You are wrong, I am poor. I lost so much money from gambling and making deals with the mafia, so I kept spending and spending, thinking I have all of the money in the world, but I was wrong. Eventually I wasn't able to pay the mafia, so I kept ignoring their calls. Even then, I knew eventually they would come after me and I wanted to be ready!"
Scorch: "The least you could've done is bring more guys to defend you, you couldn't afford more?"
Banker: "That's right, I knew they couldn't defeat the whole mafia, but it was better than nothing. I have one question for you, though... Your boss surely didn't know what you two were capable of, so why didn't he bring more men to do the job?"
Scorch: "You will soon find out about my real boss..."
Scorch tied the hands and legs of the banker so that he couldn't move.
Scorch: "Don't worry, pal! My colleagues will soon come to take care of you! I hope you enjoyed your time as a free man!" - Scorch did a peace sign with his hand and left the room.
Banker: "What does that mean?! WAIT, COME BACK!"
***
Scorch and Bear arrived at the abandoned boathouse where they were supposed to meet with the underboss, it was an old, rusty place, barely holding up. They entered the building and there he was, the underboss standing right at the center and his men positioned next to him with guns in their hands.
Underboss: "My little strays have returned! Now where is my money?"
Bear tossed him a bag full of cash, he quickly checked what Inside and handed them over to one of his men.
Underboss: "Where are the rest?"
Bear: "They are in the carriage, since we couldn't carry them all..." - Bear lied about the money.
Underboss: "I see, you two have done a great job! Congratulations, now it's time for your reward!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his men pointed their guns at them.
Scorch: "Really, "boss"? Is that how you treat your employees?"
Underboss: "You two were nothing more than a resource for me, of which I have no use anymore. You see I can't let you live because you know too much and I have to silence you once and for all!"
Scorch: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I CAN'T! ONLY IF YOU COULD'VE SEEN YOUR FACE HAHAHAHA!"
Underboss: "What's so funny?!"
Scorch: " I advise you not to shoot, because you clearly don't know who works for you... let us show you!"
They both simultaneously took their shirts off and revealed the tattoos which looked like a lion with a sword piercing the animal's head... that was the symbol that every member of the Edessian army possesed, the symbol of peace in their kingdom.
Underboss: "You are... from the army!"
(CLAP) (CLAP) (CLAP)
"It sure took you long enough, Baldy!" - a mysterious man, with red spiky hair, scruffy beard and purple eyes entered the room. He was known as a captain in the Edessian army, Captain Varis Redheart.
Varis: "All of you are under arrest on the behalf of our great nation!"
The underboss crumbled on the ground in defeat and watched as Scorch and Bear's monstrous grins grew wider and wider on their faces.
Underboss: "So all this time you two have been nothing but imposters, you pretended to be our allies just to stab us in the back?!"
Bear: "You say that as if you weren't going to betray us in the end, that's just how the world works, friend, you either play or be played!"
More soldiers entered the building, they surrounded the gangsters and handcuffed them.
Scorch: "It's all over for you and your little organization, it sure was fun doing your dirty work, but nothing lasts forever!"
Underboss: "Tell me... were you the one who came up with this plan?!"
Scorch: "I am."
Underboss: "YOU BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I SACRIFICED?! I'VE STEPPED ON SO MANY PEOPLE TO GET WHERE I AM NOW, AND ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO END BECAUSE OF A LITTLE BRAT?!"
Scorch: "Interesting... I could've asked you exactly the same question. Do you have any idea how many monsters, like you, I've captured, monsters who thought they could get away with anything in this city and the law wouldn't do anything about it?"
Underboss: "I DON'T CARE!!! I swear one day, when I escape, I will find you and make sure you suffer just as much as I did, I will kill everyone that ever meant anything to you!"
Scorch: "I'm afraid that's impossible, friend..."
Underboss: "Huh?"
Scorch got closer to his face.
Scorch: "Look me in the eyes... Do you see anything?"
Underboss: "Cut the crap!!"
Scorch: "You don't see anything, right? That's because I've seen things that you couldn't even begin to imagine. I've lost almost every reason to live, my eyes keep getting emptier and emptier with each day I breathe, but I have a promise that I need to keep and I'm not going to rest until I'm done! Enough said, you can take him away!"
Bear and Scorch left the building and as they walked away from the scene Scorch took off his eye patch.
Scorch: "Do you think I should keep wearing this as part of my style?"
Bear: "No, you looked so stupid with it..."
Scorch: "So meeeean! Fine, whatever!" |
"...I woke up the next day to the sound of rumbling in Riverstone Valley. The fear inside me kept growing, I felt paralyzed. To this day I still don't understand why... Was it because I didn't want to die? No, it's definitely not that..."
The smaller houses in the city were crumbling piece by piece, the bigger ones were engulfed in a never-ending inferno and the blue sky was hidden from the dark smoke coming out of it, which turned the day into night. The people unfortunate enough to not escape the fire screamed in agony as the skin on their face slowly melted until their bones were visible.
The husband helped his pregnant wife slowly get to the evacuation exit. The poor woman was weak due to the very late stage of the pregnancy. The sound of a falling boulder reached the woman's ears, it was heading right towards her husband.
Pregnant Woman: "GET AWAY!"
The woman pushed her husband away, but at what cost? The blood from the wife and the child inside her splashed all over the man, painting his clothes and face in red.
Husband: "Lilya... Lilya... LILYAAAAAAA!!!!"
***
Scorch quickly entered the main room in the military headquarters. The faces on the soldiers were grim, they all stared into nothing, they didn't move at all, just stared. But all of the sudden... the attack stopped. A wave of relief hit the people when the rumbling disappeared, unfortunately it only lasted for a mere second when a deep, male voice spoke via telepathy in the minds of every citizen and soldier in the city.
???: "Hello, citizens of Riverstone Valley! I'm sending this message because I want everyone to know about the crimes your army has committed. Just yesterday a group of soldiers invaded one of our fortresses and assassinated a member of the royal family, who they thought was the overseer, a crime which our kingdom cannot overlook! We do not know who killed William Gates, the uncle of King Isaac Gates. You have exactly half an hour to turn the killers in, if you resist however... There will be consequences!"
Everyone listened to this terrifying message carefully, but no one dared to say anything about it. A single tear fell from the eye of every soldier in the division, knowing that their life would come to an end soon. Varis opened a bottle of whiskey and drank the whole thing in one breath.
Varis: "So... If we turn ourselves in, would they let the citizens live?"
Scorch: "They will... but the people will be enslaved."
Varis: "How do you know that?"
Scorch: "The king wouldn't send an army just for a few soldiers, with us out of the way, he plans to take over the city and avenge his uncle in the process."
Varis: "So either way we die?"
Scorch: "There's a chance some of us might live, if we face them!"
Soldier 1: "And what's the point?! We stand no chance against an enemy like this one!"
Ragnar: "Or maybe we can run away, we have a slim chance of escaping."
David: "I think we should beg for mercy, at least they might spare the citizens!"
Soldier 2: "I have a daughter without a mother, if I die, who's going to take care of her?!"
Samuel: "I told my wife I would retire once the mission is over, so that we can buy a farm and live the rest of our days happily..."
Soldier 3: "I just wish I could see the sun one more time before I go..."
Scorch: "PATHETIC!!!" - Scorch slammed the desk, his eyes filled with bloodlust, his crazy smile spreaded from ear to ear.
David: "Excuse me?!"
Scorch: "You heard me, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU IS PATHETIC! Is that how you want your families to remember you?! Do you really want your sons and daughters to think their dad died like a coward?! ANSWER ME!!"
Samuel: "I think you are the pathetic one! Just what are you going to do by going out there?! YOU WILL DIE LIKE THE IDIOT YOU ARE!"
Scorch: "PFF HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Samuel: "What's so funny?"
Scorch: "HAHAHA Is that who will protect the innocent?! IS THAT THE FATHER WHO WOULD PROTECT HIS FAMILY?!... Hey!"
Scorch swung his leg right at Samuel's face, a kick so powerful and aggressive. The poor man fell on the ground with blood coming out of his nose from the kick.
Samuel: "You son of a bitch..."
Scorch: "Hey!"
(KICK)
Scorch: "Hey..."
(KICK)
*At that moment no one dared to stop him, after every single kick we closed our eyes out of fear, I can't even begin to imagine how Samuel felt. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do, there are other ways to motivate a person to fight. What's gotten into him?!* - Bear said to himself.
Scorch: "HEY, SAMUEL! AREN'T YA GOING TO DO ANYTHING?! AREN'T YA GOING TO BEG FOR ME TO STOP?! IF YOU DON'T, I MIGHT KEEP GOING UNTIL I KILL YOU! WHAT DO YOU SAY, HUH? ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA?!"
(KICK)(KICK)(KICK)(KICK)
Samuel: "STOP THIS ALREADY!"
As Scorch's kick was about to meet Samuel's face once again, Samuel avoided it by moving to the side, with blood dripping down from his hand he punched Scorch in the face one time, then followed with a series of punches to the face until blood was coming out of his mouth.
Scorch: "Heh..." - a thin smug appeared on Scorch's face.
Samuel: "Want me to beat that smug out of your face?!"
Scorch: "...Humans are the most dangerous creatures on this planet once their life is in danger, that is where our true power hides. That is the sole meaning of our existence... survival! Are you going to die knowing that you wasted your life?!"
Samuel: "Tch..."
Scorch: "Are you going into the afterlife like a coward, who didn't accomplish anything, or a hero, who risked his life to save others?!! Long ago I wasn't strong enough to save someone very important to me, a person who taught me the meaning of family. That person is long gone now, but I REFUSE TO LET MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE I'M A COWARD! You either come and fight with me or die like a pathetic rat, the choice is yours!"
Samuel: "I-I want to fight!"
David: "I wanna fight too!"
Ragnar: "Count me in!"
Scorch opened the window, the light from the burning fire reflected from his green eyes, as he turned around to look at his comrades, they felt as if they could illuminate the whole room.
Scorch: "Then fight because your life depends on you, that is when you are the most powerful." - The young man said right before he jumped out of the window into the nearby roofs.
***
The big gates of the city opened, from them a single person emerged. He walked slowly, his face as cold as ice, a katana attached to his back that reached a little above the back of his knees, a dagger attached to his belt, together with a pistol.
???: "Is that all? We came here just for a single person?" - the same voice that sent the message from earlier, spoke.
The person who said those words was a commander in the Gates Army, he stood high above the ground on a white horseback, a middle-length, silver hair going down his head, with some strands covering his crimson red eyes. As for clothing he wore a long, white trench coat over a white jacket with black trim, together with a pair of black pants and boots.
Scorch unsheathed the katana from his back and pointed it directly at the enemy, even though he was very far ahead.
Scorch: "You must be the leader of this attack, am I right?"
???: "Correct, and you must be the person I'm supposed to kill?"
Scorch: "...I'm the person who's going to kick your ass!"
With his free hand Scorch swiftly pulled the gun out of its holster, without much time to aim he fired a shot directly at the enemy's head. The bullet flew through the air with an incredible speed, but just as it was about to meet the commander's head a sword appeared in front of his face and with a gust of wind the sword sliced the bullet in half.
???: "It's fascinating, how even though you are about to fight an army of two thousand soldiers and a mage all by yourself, you are still not giving up. Fascinating... and foolish."
Scorch: "All foolish people are remembered by history... Then I guess I will be forgotten..."
As he said those words, an army of five hundred soldiers emerged from the city, they all wore green bomber jackets and with a burning fire in their eyes they stood behind Scorch with Bear standing right beside him.
Scorch: "... Because I'm not alone!"
???: "You made the right choice by choosing to fight, despite the differences in our power, you still might have a chance of coming out victorious. I'm impressed, I really thought you were going to surrender... What is your name, soldier?"
Scorch: "It's Scorch!"
???: "Really? Well then Scorch, I believe we have a score to settle!"
Scorch: "Go right ahead!"
The armies rushed towards each other and clashed in the middle. Meanwhile with the wind blowing in their faces, the two warriors just stared at each other until Scorch decided to move ahead.
He sliced through the enemy soldier's chest with the katana, like a paper, then with the momentum of his quick movement he used the dead man's corpse to jump high into the air, land on another man's body and gently cut his throat. Two enemy soldiers approached him, one of which made an attempt to stab him with a dagger, but he wasn't aware that if he missed the target, he would kill his comrade and lose his head in the process. Scorch was surrounded in a circle full of enemies as they pointed their guns at him.
Scorch: "Guess I will be here for a while..."
***
Bear stood in the middle of a pond filled with the blood of the ten enemies he slayed. He heard the stomping sounds coming from behind him that got closer and closer. A man approached him, or at least he looked like a man, in reality he was a giant, who stood three meters above the ground, a big black axe rested on his shoulder, right next to his bald head. Bear who used to be considered "tall" looked like a toddler compared to him.
"Are you the person who killed those men? You must be pretty strong!" - the giant said.
Bear: "You want revenge?"
"Revenge? I'm just looking for a good fight, the people you killed simply died because they were weaker than you, that's just the natural order."
Bear: "I've never fought an opponent of your size, this might be interesting. Well then, shall we dance?"
The giant pointed towards himself with his thumb.
"The name's Agony, I'm the person who's going to kill you and set you free!"
Bear: "I'm afraid that's impossible, buddy!"
With the incredible force of his arms, Agony swung his axe right for Bear's puny body, which crushed the ground beneath after he dodged it. The giant grunted and violently began to swing his axe around in a desperate attempt to strike his opponent, but it all felt like he was fighting the air. He was getting tired after a few tries, due to the fact that he was used to killing all of his opponents with one strike. Bear hopped on his shoulder and stood there like a cat with his hands placed on the ground between his legs, then he spoke in his ear.
Bear: "You seem to be having a hard time. Wanna slow down?"
Agony: "What are you talking about? You haven't even touched me!"
Bear: "A fight is not simply throwing punches at your opponent, I've killed many people because they didn't follow that golden rule."
Agony: "I agree..."
Before he could even realize it, Bear was grabbed by the torso and slammed against the ground, a large amount of blood came from his mouth upon impact, it's incredible how he didn't break his spine. He was then thrown far in the distance, but somehow managed to find the strength to land on his feet and stop the sliding with his arm. With blood covering his forehead he looked at Agony with a smile.
Bear: "I really don't like pain. I was too passive before, but now you are going to pay for this!"
Agony: "Ohohohoho now it's getting fun!"
Bear cracked his neck and put both of his hands in his pockets, he charged at Agony with jumping moves while trying to avoid his attacks, as he closed the distance, Agony aimed his punch directly for his head, but missed. Bear slided between his legs, an attack which at first looked like it didn't do anything, but after a second the giant lost balance in his legs and fell on the ground, he looked down only to find the muscles above his heel were cut. As Agony was lying on the ground Bear placed his foot on the enemy's forehead and said playfully.
Bear: "If you surrender I will let you live."
Agony: "Hahahaha you really are something else, kid! Fine, I surrender so that we can fight again next time!"
Bear: "Hmph!"
Bear turned around and walked away, he closed his eyes to relax for a second. After a few seconds he felt as if the ground beneath him was shaking, followed by the sounds of crumbling, he turned around towards the direction of Agony's body, but immediately received a blow to the face, he was sent flying towards the river. Agony grabbed his throat and pushed it under the water, only letting him out for a second to take a quick breath.
Agony: "Let this be a lesson for you kid! Never turn your back on a breathing enemy because you might be the one to lose it first!"
Agony submerged Bear's head multiple times, but eventually grew bored of it, so he decided to let him drown and be done with it. Bear desperately reached out for the knife in his pocket, his body was shaking, his breath was fading, as his eyes rolled on their back, he grabbed the knife and in a quick motion he stabbed Agony in the throat. The blood from the giant's throat squired all over Bear's clothes, Agony's hand went numb and he let go. Bear gasped for air and thanked god for being alive.
Bear: "You... (gasp) I really hope you received the fight you were looking for..."
Agony: "It's all I could've... asked for. But before I go, what Is your name... warrior?"
Bear: "Bear... It's Bear!"
Agony: "I will make sure to tell everyone in the afterlife about the man who took my life. Goodbye, Bear!"
Bear looked towards the sky, hidden behind the dark smoke of burning fire, wishing he could see the sun. In that moment a tear of empathy rolled down from his eye. |
The frozen wind was flying through the pine forest in the Gates Kingdom, the snow on the branches of the trees, that reached high into the sky, slipped and fell on ground. Towards the middle of the misty forest three carriages, filled with soldiers from the Edessian Army, were riding along the muddy road. Cuddling inside to keep the cold from biting them.
They were pretty hard to miss, wearing those green bomber jackets with the emblem of a lion and a sword piercing the animal's head, on their backs, black bullet proof vest covered by a black long sleeve sweatshirt on top.
In the front carriage were five of the most skilled men in their division. Ludwig, tall and strong, was able to crush a man's head with a little squish of his gigantic hand. David, an average looking man, kept his hair tied up in a man bun and short trimmed beard, the engineer of the group. Varis, the captain of the Redheart division, one of the best strategists in the four kingdoms. Bear, his presence was filled with joy, somehow he was able to make everyone laugh just by being around them, nobody knew anything about his past except for his partner, who stood next to him. Scorch, a person with a very traumatic past, excelled in martial arts and mathematics, but he was also the fastest soldier in the division.
It's been fifteen years since the "accident" on the streets of Allenwall, where Scorch lost his sister and he has changed a lot since then, not only physically, but also mentally. He became an official member of the army at the age of fifteen, he kept growing taller, his muscles kept getting bigger, he grew a short full beard, but that childish expression never left his face, his eyes, hair, nose, lips they were all just the same as when he was an eight year old boy, but even now, nobody has seen his true face.
Varis: "Are you, girls, ready?" - Varis said in a sarcastic tone.
Ludwig: "Sure thing, cap!"
Bear: "Woooohooo let's get them!!"
David: "Yeah, let's rock!"
They were all cheering and laughing, ready to go there and get the job done, except for Scorch, he was staring at the forest around them, even though he couldn't see much because of the fog and thinking about something.
Bear: "Why so troubled, partner?"
Scorch: "Sorry, I was just double checking to see if everything is okay with the plan."
Bear: "Speaking of which... Captain, can you remind me what the plan was again?"
Varis: "Since we didn't have enough time to plan this out, we are going to have to work with what we have. We need to sneak inside the building from the side, by climbing up to a window with ropes, which should take us right at the overseer's office. Unfortunately, this is an assassination and rescue mission, so we need to kill the overseer in order to take over the fort. Right after we kill him, Scorch and Ludwig will head down to the basement and free all the hostages, while we take out as many enemies as possible. If things get ugly out there, I give you permission to do whatever you want with them. Understood?!"
"YES, SIR!" - They all agreed with their captain.
The horses that pulled the carriage, stopped moving and hid behind a giant rock right before the fort. They left footprints in the snow as they moved closer to the building, soon Rinwall revealed itself to their eyes. A giant fortress made completely out of stone, enemy soldiers scouting around it. The mission was important, since a lot of their comrades were taken prisoner by the Gates Army, plus if they took over the fortress it would serve as a checkpoint for later assaults on the Gates Kingdom, until the war is over.
The enemy soldier was just about to turn around the corner when someone grabbed him by the head and put him to sleep. They used the fog as cover to climb up the wall.
Towards the middle, the wind accelerated, the place Scorch attached his rope to crumbled, due to how old the fort was, his body was about to meet the ground, but somehow he managed to pull the dagger out of his pocket and stuck it in the wall, which was enough to break the fall.
Scorch: "Phew, that was close! Luckily no one noticed me." - Scorch said as a joke.
Bear, whispering: "Hey, dumbass! Take this, try not to cut yourself!" - Bear tossed his dagger to Scorch, so he can use it to climb the wall.
Scorch: "Just watch and learn, jackass..."
Scorch's speed drastically increased, he then began to climb like he was crawling on the ground, so fast indeed he reached the overseer's office window first and slowly opened it.
His presence casted a shadow upon the room, the overseer, who was in a hurry, noticed that. He turned around to see what was the cause of it, but in a matter of just one second, a dagger accelerated in the air at incredible speed and pierced his throat. The blood from his neck spreaded all over the floor and the walls, in his dying breath he reached out for something in his pocket, but he was too weak to finish it.
Scorch: "You can rest in peace now, friend."
William: "I hope... I hope you rot in hell, you bastard!" - His breath faded away.
The rest of the soldiers entered the room one by one through the window.
Varis: "Everyone spread out! Boys, it's your turn, head down to the basement and rescue your imprisoned comrades."
Ludwig: "Alright, blondie, try not to ruin your haircut, I don't wanna see you cry!"
Scorch: "Shut your big ass up and follow me!"
Their steps could barely be heard through the dark hallways, Scorch noticed a man standing on the platform between the floors, he got closer to him and used a tranquilizer to put him to sleep, then gently grabbed his body and tied him up. With their guns facing forward, they peeked around the corner, noticed the big heavy door to the basement, but no one was there to protect it, which was unusual.
Scorch: "Well I was expecting some resistance, but don't mind if I do... Now let's see..." - He pulled the door, but it was locked. "...Not good, I guess we need to find the key. Any ideas?"
Ludwig was supposed to respond to that question, but nothing. Silence. Then a sudden click of a gun, Scorch slowly shifted his body towards the direction of the click. A man kept Ludwig's unconscious body with his right arm, and with the left he pointed the gun towards Scorch's head.
Enemy Soldier: "Move and you are dead!"
Scorch: "You don't have to tell me, y'know. I mean you are pointing a gun towards me after all, I'm not stupid."
Enemy Soldier: "If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut if you don't wanna lose it!"
Scorch: "And if I were you, I'd watch my back..."
Enemy Soldier: "What..."
The enemy soldier quickly turned around, someone pulled the trigger and the poor man received a bullet to the face.
Scorch: "I'm glad you came, partner..."
Bear: "Seriously, what were you going to do if I didn't come, you idiot?"
Scorch: "Guess I would've been dead... But I'm not, so thanks, jackass!"
Scorch took the key attached to the soldier's belt and unlocked the door with it. Inside, all ten of the hostages were tied up to three pillars with chains, their skin - pale, due to the low temperatures of the room, shivering. The odd thing however about the room was that there was some sort of box in the middle with ticking noises coming out of it.
Soldier 1: "No, no, no, no, you shouldn't be here! Get out as fast as possible!"
Scorch: "What are you talking about, we've come to rescue you!"
Soldier 2: "There's a time bomb Inside that box!"
Bear carefully opened the box, there was a timer inside and a bunch of dynamite, scheduled to hit zero after seven minutes.
Scorch: "It doesn't matter, we are not leaving without you!"
Soldier 3: "You fools! There's no way you can help us, you can't unlock these chains, nor can you break them. Leave!"
Scorch: "Is there really nothing we can do?"
Bear: "Scorch, they are right..."
Soldier 1: "You shouldn't have come here at all, take Ludwig and leave!"
Scorch: "I see, your sacrifice will be remembered. I will make sure this reaches out to your families..."
Soldier 4: "The army was our family, we had no one else..."
Soldier 3: "Instead, take our tags from the guard outside and place them beneath that big tree right in the center of Allenwall."
Bear: "Why there?"
Soldier 5: "This tree serves as a memorial to all of the dishonored soldiers. We believe that even those who die without honor can turn into something magnificent."
Bear: "Your days as protectors of our kingdom are over, we thank you for your services. May the lion watches over you..."
Scorch: "...So you can cut your enemies with his sword. And maybe your next life will be a little more beautiful."
Soldier 1: "Hurry up before you join us!"
Scorch walked out the doorway, took the tags from the guard and helped Bear carry Ludwig's unconscious body upstairs.
The sounds of guns firing roared throughout the hallways, filled with the corpses of the fallen soldiers, who were not just the enemies, but the friends too.
Scorch: "This is horrible!"
Bear: "We knew what we were signing up for when we joined the army. We've got another problem though, Varis and the rest probably don't know about the bomb in the basement, we need to evacuate them quickly!"
Right before they reached the main hall, Ludwig woke up, they gently placed him on the ground and gave him some water.
Ludwig: "What happened?"
Bear: "Nothing, you just took a nice beauty sleep, for you however, it has the opposite effect..."
Ludwig: "Give me a break! Seriously, what happened?!"
Scorch: "I will tell you the details later, for now you just need to know that there's a bomb in the basement and we need to get out quickly!"
Ludwig: "Ugh what does a man need to do in order to get some sleep in this job?!"
They reached the main hall, where the exit was located. The enemies were trying to run away because they knew what was going to happen In two minutes, but Varis and his comrades didn't even give them a chance, they shot down every person who stood in their way.
Bear: "QUIT SHOOTING!"
Varis: "Why? What are you talking about?"
Bear: "It was all a trap from the beginning, they planned to blow this entire building while we were in it!"
Varis: "...What about the soldiers!" - he said in a quiet monotone voice.
Scorch: "If we tried to help them, we all would've died..."
Varis: "(sigh) I see... EVERYONE, WE MUST EVACUATE QUICKLY!"
The men rushed through the exit, confused about what's happening, Varis decided not to tell them about the bomb because they would've paniced. Bear and Scorch waited until everyone was evacuated until they left too. Scorch went first, but all of the sudden someone grabbed Bear's leg as he was about to leave. The man who grabbed him had a broken leg, blood all over his face and his eye was missing.
The Man: "HELP ME, YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE, I HAVE A FAMILY!"
Bear: "Were you responsible for the bomb in the basement and the abduction of those men?"
The Man: "...DOES IT MATTER NOW?!"
Bear: "Answer my question..."
The Man: "...Yes, I was the one who locked them up with those chains..." - the man bursted into tears.
Bear: "Did you care about THEIR families?!"
The Man: "...No, I did not!"
Bear: "In this world there's nothing you can do without any consequences, by choosing to kill those men in the most brutal way possible, you are showing me, that deep within you heart, you are nothing but a monster! Go to hell, you crazy son of a bitch!"
Bear lifted his leg up into the air and kicked the man as hard as possible in the face to free himself up from his grip. He crossed into the outside world, but he turned backwards to see the man once again. The man's face was filled with despair and anger.
The Man: "YOU BASTARDS!"
The timer on the bomb hit zero and the fort exploded in a raging inferno, the walls crumbled, the ground shaked from the explosion and everyone who was left inside was dead.
A hand reached out for Bear to help him get up.
Scorch: "You hanging in there, partner?"
Bear: "Of course I am!"
Varis: "Unfortunately, the mission was a failure, they knew we would come for our men, they lured us into a trap! Damn it! We need to retreat to Riverstone Valley. You three did a good job though, without you, we would've been dead."
***
"Every choice you make has consequences, when I killed that man I didn't realize what would come after me and how many people would die. I woke up the next day to the sound of rumbling in Riverstone Valley..." |
The two kids ran with all of their strength through the dark forest where the trees blocked the moonlight. They kept running knowing that their father could be right on their tracks by now. Scorch once again got ahead of Alissia, right before he reached the road he tripped on a root coming out of the ground and fell in a mud pond, when Alissia arrived she laughed amusingly at his misery.
Scorch: "Very funny..."
Alissia: "Hahahaha I'm sorry I just couldn't help it!"
Scorch: "Give me a hand will ya?"
Alissia: "Fine, I guess I owe you one."
Alissia reached out for his hand, as she grabbed it Scorch pulled her into the mud pond as well, her whole face and clothes got covered in mud, when she turned around to look at Scorch, he had a big smug on his face.
Alissia: "You jerk! Why did you do that?!"
Scorch: "Hahahaha I'm sorry I just couldn't help it!"
Scorch turned around, placed his hands in his pockets and continued going down the road.
Alissia: "Smartass..."
They were about two hours away from Hillville, when the exhaustion struck them like a bull. Alissia had black circles under her eyes and Scorch's legs were hurting from all the walking. Luckily Alissia noticed a dirt road, which led them to an old cabin in the woods. The cabin was way older than the place they used to live in, it had no windows, nor a door, with only one room, it looked nightmarish, but they had no other place to go. Scorch handed over the bag to Alissia so she could sleep on it, while he grabbed a bunch of moss from the stones outside the cabin and placed it on the floor so they could keep the cold away.
On the next day, they met a merchant on the road, they begged him for a ride to Allenwall, but he didn't have space for them in his carriage, instead he gave them 30R and a map of the whole kingdom.
They traversed the land, climbing mountains, swam through rivers and running from bandits, but after traveling for six days they finally made it to Allenwall.
Allenwall, or the royal capital of the Edessa Kingdom, famed for its majestic walls that surrounded it, a place where almost everything was runned by steam, a wealthy and prospective place. However not everything was as it seemed, the city had one of the highest crime rates in the world and due to the war with the Gates Kingdom every foreigner was either imprisoned or executed on sight.
There was a huge line of people waiting to get inside the city, the guards strictly checked everyone before entering for any weapons or contraband. It was finally Scorch and Alissia's turn, the guard searched their bags carefully.
Guard: "Everything looks fine here, now do you mind to look at your passports?"
Scorch: "Passports? But we don't have any."
Guard: "Sorry kid, I can't let you In without them!"
Alissia: "Please, sir, we've been traveling for six days, we have no food and no home, our father tried to kill us, I'm so scared!"
Guard: "That's not my problem, now get out of my sight!"
A stranger from behind raised his voice against the guard. He was wearing a brown trench coat, a tie around his neck and a fedora hat that covered his brown hair.
Stranger: "Excuse me, is that how the guards from Allenwall treat the poor children?!"
Guard: "Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?"
Stranger: "I'm a reporter, I could easily show the whole city who's protecting them, how you treat the children, if that happens everyone will turn against you and you will lose your job!"
Guard: "Hahahaha and how are you going to prove that?!"
Stranger: "I have witnesses..."
The stranger turned around and pointed at the hundreds of people waiting in line as they all began to yell at the guard and throw vegetables at him. The guard covered his face with his arms.
Guard: "Ugh, fine! You little brats can enter the city... But if you cause any type of mischief, you are dead!"
The kids' eyes lit up like the sun, they hugged each other and laughed. Scorch turned around to thank the stranger that helped them.
Scorch: "Thank you so much, mister!"
Stranger: "No worries kid, we strangers must help each other, one day I might be in trouble and you will be around to help me."
Scorch nodded happily and the gates in front of them opened, at last they entered the capital. The old houses made out of stone and wood stood high above their heads, the muddy roads were filled with the passing carriages, where people with elegant suits and dresses walked next to them, and the royal palace looked down on the people below.
Alissia jumped, smiled and laughed as she held Scorch's hand, who was mesmerized by the beauty of the palace in the distance.
Alissia: "Brother, we did it, we made it to Allenwall! Can you believe it? Look at all those houses and have you seen this many carriages in one place? I wanna look around!"
Scorch: "Hey hey calm down haha!" - Scorch laughed and waved with the lion plushie in his left hand.
Alissia smiled gently.
Alissia: "Even after all that, you still hold on to that thing. What was his name again?"
Scorch: "Of course, I would never give up on Ichinose!"
"I hope he never changes..." - Alissia said to herself.
Scorch: "It's our first time in the big city, let's go look around!"
Alissia: "I'm so happy!"
The twins ran through the city, laughing childishly, the people noticed their carefree nature and admired that about them.
Noble 1: "For two homeless kids, they seem really happy."
Noble 2: "Haha they sure do!"
Eventually they realized that their clothes were all torn up and dirty, they saw a very elegant clothing shop on one of the streets and decided to go in. The gentleman Inside looked at them in a weird way, he clearly knew they didn't have enough money to buy anything. Soon a stylish, red, leather jacket caught Scorch's eye.
Scorch: "Excuse me, how much for that jacket?"
Gentleman: "Well it is quite pricey... and quite big for you, are you sure you don't want to look at the kids' section, the things there are a little cheaper?"
Scorch: "Pffff don't worry about that, I have plenty of money!" - he pointed towards himself with his thumb and a wide smug appeared on his face.
Gentleman: "Well in that case it's worth 400R, young man..."
Scorch: "He...?" - the smug on his face quickly disappeared and it turned into a very awkward smile.
Alissia: "Hehehehe I'm sorry for my brother, he is not very smart, yeah or mother used to drop him a lot as a kid uh... See ya later!" - she said nervously.
Alissia grabbed Scorch by the hair and left the shop in a flash, then she took him to a nearby alley and kept yelling while smacking him in the face.
Alissia: "YOU. BIG. IDIOT! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO EMBARRASS ME IN FRONT OF THE NOBLES?!"
Scorch: "It's not my fault everything here is super overpriced! Back in our town a jacket like that costs like 40R!"
Alissia: "(sight) You make a good point though, how much money do we have?"
Scorch: "46 Rios."
Alissia: "It's not enough, we might have enough money for food, but we also need a place to sleep. Earlier I noticed that a room for the night in the inn costs 150R."
Scorch: "Hehehehehe..." - the smug returned to his face.
Alissia: "Another one of your stupid ideas?"
Scorch: "Maybe..."
Alissia: "What is it?"
Scorch: "We could try to steal..."
Alissia: "Absolutely no! Scorch, those people work hard for their money, we can't just steal them!"
Scorch: "Alissia, those people actually have a place in this world, unlike us, they could easily make their money back."
Alissia: "But what if we get caught?"
Scorch: "With my genius, we will never get caught! Please, let's just try it one time and you will see that you will like it!"
Alissia: "Ugh fine!"
First they stole some of the clothes hanging on the clotheslines from the nearby buildings, so they could look less suspicious. Then they moved to a rather busy street, full of nobles with full pockets.
The kids scouted the area and market their victim. They pretended to be playing tag on the street, when Alissia suddenly tripped in front of an old man, then she began to cry.
Old man: "Oh God, are you okay, little girl? Here let me help you!"
The man leaned forward to give her a hand, when someone gently tapped him on the shoulder.
Scorch: "Please, let me take care of my sister, I don't want you to hurt your back."
Old man: "Ohohoho take you, young man, but be more careful next time you play, someone might get hurt!"
Scorch: "Will do, thank you!"
Scorch and Alissia ran away naturally, the man felt weird so he checked his back pocket for his wallet, but luckily it was still there. The kids then sat on a bench, taking deep breaths from all the running.
Alissia: "You got anything?"
Scorch: "I did!" - Scorch took out from his pocket 90 Rios in cash.
Alissia: "Why didn't you just take the whole wallet?"
Scorch: "I told you my genius is going to save our asses! I knew the old man would get suspicious of us and he would check for his wallet right after, so after I tapped him on the shoulder the first time I quickly took his wallet, took only the money and placed it right back. Of course my plan wasn't perfect, eventually the man would find out about his money, but we would be far away before he realizes."
Alissia: "So how much money do we have?"
Scorch: "We have 136R, damn it! It's still not enough for a room in the inn, and I feel like I had enough to steal for today!"
Alissia: "Cheer up, we could at least have one of those ice things everyone is carrying around!"
Scorch: "What are you talking about?"
Alissia: "I think they called it "Ice cream"? It's like ice mixed with sugar and milk, c'mon there's a man who sells it over there!"
The man mixed the milk with the sugar in a big bowl in a tub mixed with ice and salt, then he placed it on a stick and gave it to them. Scorch took a small bite from the Ice cream, his eyes lit up like the sun and ate the whole thing in two bites.
Alissia: "Haha careful, you might catch a cold if you eat it too fast."
The sun was going down, the people were heading home to their families and the streets didn't seem so pleasant during the night. The thugs and the thieves from the city roamed the streets, some were already drunk, some were committing crimes and some were just standing aside, watching. Scorch and Alissia found a cozy little corner in one of the alleys, they chose it because nobody went there and it had a big pile of old hay, which they later used as a bed.
Sleeping on the streets was a new experience for both of them. Kenji's punishments were unfair, brutal and wrong, but at least they had a roof over their heads. They knew their lives were about to change forever. |
The moonlight was shining upon the forest, the nocturnal creatures were already on the hunt and the rest were asleep. In the area there was only one house on two floors, made completely out of wood, with a welcoming light coming out from the windows. A boy laid on top of the old, crumbling rooftop, the Boy was no older than eight, taller than usual, with short dark blond hair, lifted and shaped like a messy quiff. His green eyes were narrow, almost aggressive, but yet they looked at the stars with such childish curiosity.
His hands and teeth began to shiver from the cold, the Boy slided down the rooftop and fell on his feet without a scratch, he opened the door and witnessed a very sad view. His father had fallen asleep on the floor, saliva dripping down from his mouth, definitely drunk.
The father's name was Kenji, a very tall and heavily structured man, with black hair and ugly face. Kenji was a drunk and a drug addict, he used to struggle a lot financially because he didn't have a stable source of income and barely left the house, not to mention the way he used to abuse his children.
The Boy scratched the back of his head and thought to himself: "Ahh not again! What am I supposed to do now? Maybe I can ask Alissa if she is not already asleep...". He went upstairs, opened the door to the bedroom and unfortunately Alissia was already asleep with a book in her hand.
Alissa was his twin sister, they barely had any differences, she was only slightly shorter and with longer hair reaching her waist.
The Boy didn't want to bother his sister, so he had to find another way to wake up his father up, he tried to push him, but he was too heavy, he slapped him a couple of times in the face, but he was still asleep, nothing he tried worked so he just left him sleep on the floor.
Boy: "The floor seems very cold tonight, but I can't wake him up, so I'm just hoping he doesn't catch a cold."
The Boy decided to go to sleep as well, he grabbed his lion plushie, closed his eyes and woke up the next morning. Alissia was already making breakfast when Kenji awoke. Then he lit up a cigarette.
Kenji: "Sleep well?"
Alissia: "Yes, father."
Kenji got closer to Alissa and stood right above her head, his menacing figure casted shadow upon her. She didn't dare to look him in the eyes.
Kenji: "Well I slept like shit, while you were sleeping peacefully in your bed..."
Alissa: "..."
Kenji: "Little brat, at least look me in the eyes when I talk!"
Kenji grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall. She tried to fight back but she didn't stand a chance against the giant.
Kenji: "Now what do we say when we make a mistake?!"
Alissia: "I-I'm sorry, papa!"
Kenji: "Tch for the next week you and your brother will sleep on the floor, try not to catch a cold because I'm not going to take care of you!"
He released her from his grip, she fell down on the floor gasping for air as she held her throat.
The breakfast was quiet, since Kenji wasn't in the mood for talking. Soon they finished eating and went on with their chores for the day. Alissia washed Kenji's clothes and Scorch had to clean up the toilet. In the afternoon they received a new order from their father.
Kenji: "Listen carefully! We are running short on food supplies, I need you to head to town to buy bread, chicken meat and rice, I'm giving you twenty Rios, do not waste them!"
They nodded, took their bags and began making their way to the town.
Their house was in the middle of a pine forest, thirty minutes away from the town of Hillville, mostly known for its location, situated in a beautiful mountain range, it was a common destination among tourists.
As they were walking on the dirty forest path towards the town, Alissia noticed that something was bothering her brother.
Alissia: "What's up?"
Boy: "Huh?"
Alissia: "Oh c'mon as if I can't tell when someone is troubling you!"
Boy: "Haha I guess you truly know me better than anybody else. I was just thinking about our future, like what will happen to us, are we going to stay with papa until he dies or we will be separated?"
Alissia: "I guess you make a good point. Don't you have a dream?"
Boy: "A dream?"
Alissia: "It's like when you have a certain goal in mind, something you want to accomplish, that sorta thing."
Boy: "I never really thought about it... d-do you have a dream?"
Alissia placed her hands on the back of her head as she was walking down the road.
Alissia: "I'm not very picky, all I want is a nice house, have my own library, good food on the table and if possible a butler."
Boy: "Honestly I just wish I could make a change in this world, something that will be remembered forever. Can you imagine? People calling me "A Hero of Justice"?!"
Alissia laughed amusingly and held her stomach.
Alissia: "Hahahahaha I'm sure you just want to be a hero to impress girls!"
The Boy's cheeks turned red, he turned his head the other way so she couldn't see his blush.
Boy: "That's not true!"
Alissia: "I can see your blushing hehe."
Boy: "Just... shut up!"
At last they made it to town, like most of the days the town was full with tourists, people wanting to experience the wonderful nature around the town.
The twins decided to split, the Boy had to go get bread and chicken meat so he headed towards the bakery, then he noticed that there's a new lady working there. As he entered the store the lady smiled and asked politely.
Lady: "Who is that handsome young man?"
Boy: "Hi, can I get a white bread?"
Lady: "Not until you tell me your name..." - the lady said humorously.
Boy: "My name is... Scorch."
Lady: "That's a very unique name..."
Boy: "My father says, one day it will strike fear in the hearts of my enemies."
The lady raised an eyebrow and decided to stay silent until the boy left with the bread.
"What kind of father talks like that to his son?!"
Some time passed by, Scorch was waiting for his sister to arrive at the place they were supposed to meet each other, it was getting dark and she wasn't coming. He got worried so he searched for her around the town. The Boy found her in a tailor shop, he left his bag outside on a bench and got inside.
Scorch: "Alissia we gotta go, the sun is setting!"
Alissia: "Sorry, I was just looking around here."
Scorch: "No worries, but we gotta hurry!"
As they left the shop, without looking Scorch reached out his hand towards the bench to grab his bag, but it wasn't there.
Scorch: "What?!"
He looked around with fear in his eyes, to see if the bag just got moved away.
Alissia: "Don't tell me you don't remember where you left your bag..."
Scorch: "No, I remember that I left it right here on the bench... Someone stole it!"
Alissia: "Why did you leave it outside, now because of you, father is going to punish us?!"
Scorch: "Because of ME?! It was because of YOU I had to leave it outside! It doesn't matter now, what do you have in your bag?"
Alissia: "Just a bunch of rice. What are we going to do? Father will kill us!"
Scorch: "It doesn't matter now, if we don't hurry up the monsters in the forest will kill us!"
They sprinted towards the house, Scorch was running a bit faster than Alissia, eventually she fell behind to catch a breath.
Alissia: "Go ahead, I will catch up with you!"
Scorch: "No, it's too dangerous! C'mon we have a bit more to go, I will run with you."
They made it to the house. As they crossed the doorway they found Kenji lying on the dinner table with his head placed on his forearms, a bottle of whiskey next to him and some sort of red dust.
Alissia: "Papa?"
Kenji lifted his head very slowly, as he turned around to look at them a drop of black colored blood began dripping down from his forehead, the sclera of his left eye was also black, then he smiled and spoke in a calm, yet terrifying tone.
Kenji: "It's good to see my children made it back home safely. Come give daddy a hug!"
The black blood thickened and it spread all over his body, Alissia and Scorch took a step back as he got closer. The twins didn't understand it at the moment, but the reason for all of the blood was because Kenji made an attempt to kill himself. Everything was sign that Kenji was taking Crimson Shards.
Crimson Shards is a special type of drug, it's mostly known for the appealing crimson red color it has and the way the light reflects from it. It has a number of side effects but the most common are: black sclera, or the white part of the eye, black blood, aggressive behavior, hallucinations and schizophrenia. Most people who take this drug usually commit suicide because of the deafening voices in their head.
Scorch took a very deep breath and said.
Scorch: "Papa I have to tell you something..."
Kenji: "Hm?"
Scorch: "Someone stole my bag today at the market, I didn't know it would happen! I'm so sorry, please don't be mad at me!"
Scorch then began to cry on his knees, Kenji took a step back and sat on the chair behind him with a shadow covering his eyes.
Kenji: "I'm not mad because you wasted the money I gave you, or because you didn't buy the things I told you to. No, I'm angry because you are lying to me!"
Scorch: "Papa, I'm not lying I swe-"
Kenji: "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME! You are telling me that I raised a liar and a crybaby?! Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson..."
With all of his force Kenji swung his fist and punched Scorch in the stomach with an uppercut, Scorch coughed a large amount of blood on the floor as he fell down and hugged his knees from the pain, the tears coming out from his eyes increased.
Scorch: "Father, please stop, I'm begging you!"
Kenji: "Is that all it takes to beat you?! You are pathetic!"
Kenji raised his leg, aiming it directly to the back of Scorch's head. Alissia watched as her brother was about to be killed by her own father, she was too scared to even move.
"What is happening? Why is this happening? My brother will be killed by my father, I have to do something! But WHAT can I do?!"
The distance between Kenji's foot and Scorch's head was getting closer and closer, in her eyes it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. And in that moment her body began moving on its own, as if something else was controlling her, she grabbed the bloodied knife from the table and stabbed Kenji in the knee. She grabbed Scorch by the hand and ran upstairs to hide in the bedroom.
Kenji: "You little piece of shit! I WILL KILL BOTH OF YOU!"
They locked the bedroom door and began planning their next move.
Alissia: "What are we going to do now?!"
All the room had was two empty beds, a window and two wooden chairs. Despite being terrified by the situation, Scorch quickly came up with a plan. He took off the leg of one of the chairs and used it to smash the window. Meanwhile Kenji was slowly coming up the stairs.
Kenji: "WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Scorch: "Listen, we will have to jump off the window and run far away from here, he can't chase us with that stab wound!"
Alissia: "I understand."
Alissia jumped off the second floor and fell safely on her feet, but as Scorch was about to the same he was grabbed by the throat and lifted up. Kenji pinned him to the wall and tried to suffocate him.
Kenji: "Time for you to go to bed!"
Scorch realized he was still holding the leg of the chair he used to break the window.
Scorch: "...Not yet!"
Scorch struck Kenji in the head with force so powerful as to break the leg of the chair in his head. Kenji fell on the ground unconscious, Scorch quickly grabbed his lion plushie, Alissia's book, some food and joined her outside.
Alissia: "What are we going to do now, brother?"
Scorch: "We have to move far away from here, somewhere our father can't find us."
Alissia: "Where could that be?"
Scorch: "In the Royal Capital..." |
The train station in Magus was filled with random citizens, with the same goal of journeying to the capital of the Edessa Kingdom for safety. They all had black circles under their eyes, pale skin and not a single smile. The acts of war are truly terrible indeed, not only for the soldiers, who fight to protect the people, but also the innocents that just try to live a normal life, those who were forced to abandon their homes in order to survive.
Amongst the crowd two women were trying so hard to blend in, they both had hoods over their heads, covering their beautiful faces and a strange aura around them. It was clear that they were trying to hide the fact that they were mages.
The first girl's name was Christina Strider, she was a beautiful young girl, around 23 years old, wearing a red, short sleeved bodysuit, long brown pants that covered her legs, a short, red cape with white fur around the ends of the hood and a pair of brown heels. Her most notable feature however was her aggressive, yet beautiful blue eyes that seemed to look like they could replace the sky. Her elegant, straight, brown hair reached her waist, which indicated that she likes to take care of it.
The companion next to her was Alexandra Marou, an intelligent woman with black glasses that sat over her red eyes, which contrasted her neck-length, black hair that framed her face and kept some strands on the right side of her face. Just like her hair, the jacket she had on top of a white shirt was also black, a skirt hid her waist and thigh highs covered her legs.
Alexandra looked around and noticed that all of the men and some of the women were staring at her, which made her panic and grabbed Christina by the collar of her cape.
Alexandra: "Why did you make me wear this?!" - She said nervously.
Christina raised an eyebrow before she giggled and said cheerfully.
Christina: "Oh c'mon, you look so cute in that skirt! I thought you wanted people to notice you more!"
Alexandra: "it's not like I want their attention or anything!! And if you think the skirt looks cute then why aren't you wearing one?!"
Christina blushed and held her hands down in embarrassment.
Christina: "Well I uh... I don't want people to look at me..."
Alexandra: "Why, because you are short?" - She said mischievously.
Christina: "So we are going to talk like that, huh? If you haven't noticed yet, my intimidating eyes are the only thing keeping all those men around us from talking to you. What do you think will happen if I just go to the bathroom for a second?" - She said as she made a peace sign and walked to the bathroom.
Alexandra: "No, no, no, no I'm sorry I called you short, please don't go!" - Her face began to turn red.
Christina turned around to wink at her, but as she did that she noticed two men with hoods over their heads following her inside. She washed her hands and splashed her face, but when she faced the mirror she saw the two men standing behind her with wide smugs.
Joe: "So what do you think, Henry? Is this one really worth killing? I mean look at her!"
Henry: "You are talking with your balls, Joe! Of course she is worth killing, did you see how much her heart is worth?!"
In this world the mages are born with a unique mutation, upon birth the mage is born with one random organ crystalized. The crystal organs don't do anything practical and work pretty much like any other organ. However they are more of a downside, since they are made out of pure crystals they are really expensive, a deal which is irresistible to mage hunters who do this for a living.
Christina: "Hey, I'm here, you know?" - She waved at them and said amusingly.
Joe: "Awww look how cute she is when she acts all tough!"
Henry: "Stop this, you idiot!" - Henry grabbed Christina by the arm and dragged her to the exit. "You are coming with us!"
Christina: "Oh wow you are such a gentleman." - She twisted his arm and fingers, the man growled in pain and bent over as she giggled. "Care for a dance?"
Henry: "Go to hell, bitch!"
Christina: "Boring..." - She punched him in the face and knocked him out unconscious, at that moment she shifted her gaze to Joe with a nice smile. "Would you dance with me?"
Joe: "Oh fuck that, I'm sorry, Henry!" - Joe said before he ran away.
Christina: "Why was he so scared, I wasn't going to hurt him that much? Anyway, I guess I should head back before something happens to Alexandra..."
Upon exiting the bathroom, she observed Alexandra surrounded by a group of men, she sat comfortably on a chair with her legs crossed, her cheeks completely red and the men appeared to be worshiping her.
Man 1: "Would you marry me?"
Man 2: "No, I'm going to be a better husband!"
Man 3: "Become my wife and we can have lots of children!"
Alexandra's cheeks turned even redder, she closed her eyes and upon hearing those words she punched the three men in the faces.
Alexandra: "YOU PERVERTS!"
She saw Christina coming out of the bathroom, took her hand and quickly dragged her inside the train, then took a seat in one of the cabins on the train.
Christina: "What, couldn't handle the love those men had for you?" - She said in an amusing tone.
Alexandra: "Those idiots tried to get married to me, of course I will run away!!"
Christina: "Oh wow, don't underestimate the power of the skirt!" - She giggled.
Alexandra: "Very funny..."
Somebody knocked on the cabin's door, Alexandra raised an eyebrow before opening the door. In front of her stood a young woman with a baby boy in her hands, she looked worried and a little terrified, her black hair was messy and she had dark circles under her eyes.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, but can we please stay in your cabin? My son is sick and all of the other passengers refused to let us in, can we please come in?" - The woman asked, nearly tearing up.
Alexandra: "Of course, please come in!"
"Thank you so much, you are a lifesaver. It's just that everyone is seeking shelter in the capital, so the trains have more people than they can handle."
Christina: "It's okay, we are always looking forward to helping. My name is Christina and my friend here is Alexandra. What's yours, if you don't mind me asking?"
"My name is Phillippa and this here is my son Yakon."
The train began to move and a little more light came inside the cabin, for the first time she was about to take a good look at the baby. He was less than a year old, no hair, his skin was as pale as the clouds and he was crying.
Philippa: "Shhh it's okay, my love, we are safe now." - She whispered to her son.
Christina: "Here let me help you..."
Christina reached out her hand towards the baby, but Philippa backed away out of terror.
Christina: "Just trust me, I'm not going to hurt him. May I please help?"
Philippa allowed her to touch the baby on the stomach. Christina's hand engulfed in green flames, that seemed so gentle and beautiful, like they were dancing through the air. In a matter of seconds, his skin returned back to normal and stopped crying.
Philippa: "You are a mage? Oh my gosh, how can I repay you for healing my son?!"
Christina: "Please, you don't have to repay me anything, the pleasure was all mine." - She smiled warmly.
Tears appeared in Philippa's eyes as she hugged Christina.
Philippa: "Thank you so much! You two are the first people ever since... ever since..."
Alexandra: "Take it easy, you don't have to tell us, if it is too painful."
Philippa: "No, it's okay. You are the first people who showed us any kindness ever since my husband died in the war. With him out of our lives I wasn't able to pay our bills and we were kicked out of our house, so we decided to move to Allenwall to live with friends. I've been walking for days with Yakon in my hands, but I couldn't feed him properly so he got sick and now here we are."
Alexandra: "I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you, I truly mean it. You are such a strong woman for making it this far, you have my deepest admiration and also my condolences for your husband."
Philippa: "I'm so glad that even in these tough times we can still find a little comfort and warmth. Thank you once again!" - She said with a light blush on her face.
Christina couldn't help, but felt sorry for everything the woman had been through. For comfort, she reached out to her necklace, it was the last thing her father gave her before he passed away, a silver necklace with a beautiful blue gem. She was the youngest daughter of a nobleman. The young girl has endured more bullying from her sisters than anyone could imagine.
"'Christina, is so perfect!' I think Christina is pathetic, she can't do anything, not to mention how ugly she is." "The only reason father keeps you is because you are a mage, you know that?""What a bitch!" "Sometimes we wish you didn't exist, Christina, if only you could disappear just like you came!" "Maybe you are the reason, mother left us when you were born!" "Go to hell, ugly whore!"
Those were the words, and many others, that Christina used to hear everyday from her sisters, whenever she tried to fight back at them, they pulled her hair and bullied her even more. She didn't know why they hated her so much. "Is it because I was born a mage?", she used to think. When she was sixteen her father died from cancer. After their father passed away she left the house, her goal was to learn more about her magic and help the normal people who needed her. That's when she met Alexandra, who had the same goals and ambitions.
While everyone was sitting comfortably in their cabins, reading newspapers, looking out the windows or sleeping, the sound of an old gun spread across the hallways, it was a loud bang. The passengers screamed in panic, before somebody yelled. "HEY, SHITHEADS, STAY DOWN, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIVES! AND HAND OVER EVERYTHING YOU HAVE, OR ELSE I WILL SHOOT YA IN THE BLOODY FACES!!" - A deep male voice spoke in a foreign accent.
To be continued... |
With every second the shouting became louder and louder, the gunfire got closer to their cabin. Philippa's eyes trembled in fear, in order to protect Yakon, who was now crying, she squeezed him harder and put him closer to her chest, it seemed to have calmed him down a bit, but he was still scared out of his mind.
Two deep, male voices were shouting on the outside of the train cabin, it sounded like they were dragging something on the floor and whatever that thing was it was struggling.
Christina tried to hide the nervousness on her face, but she knew that whoever was outside was not a friend, so she looked at Philippa and spoke calmly.
Christina: "Listen to me, Philippa. Hide under the bench and no matter what happens DO NOT go outside!"
Philippa: "But what are you going to do?!"
Christina: "We are going to have a little chat with those men..."
Philippa squeezed beneath the bench, on which she sat on, covered the baby's mouth and eyes and tried to make herself as small as possible.
The two young ladies gently opened the door to the hallway, they looked to their left and noticed two muscular men, with torn up clothes and bandanas over their mouths, in one of the men's hands he was dragging a woman with a sealed mouth. It didn't take long before the men noticed Christina and Alexandra, they dropped the woman and pointed these old-fashioned guns filled with gunpowder, then they spoke angrily with a foreign accent.
Man 1: "Ohohohoho look at this, mate, we really be hittin' the jackpot today, ain' we?"
Man 2: "Damn straight, I guess we will be havin' some fun after all!"
Alexandra: "Dear God..." - she said in annoyance.
A frozen spear appeared in the palm of Alexandra's hand, with her amazing precision, she threw the spear right in his shoulder, pinning him to the wall, but not killing him. The man next to him looked surprised and quite terrified when he found out who he was facing. In the moment when he was the most distracted, Christina used that opportunity to hit him on the side of the throat, knocking him out.
Alexandra grabbed the man by the collar and removed his bandana, she looked at him in an intimidating way and asked.
Alexandra: "Who are you?!"
The man: "Isn't it obvious, sweetheart, we are pirates! We came here because we heard that there's a lot of wealthy people on this train, but we didn't know that there were two mages here..." - The man leaned next to her ear and whispered. "...Your organs will earn us a fortune..."
Alexandra: "What are you talking about?! You are defeated!"
The man: "I'm pretty sure your friend knows exactly what I'm talking about..."
Alexandra: "Huh?"
She turned around to see what the man was talking about, she saw Christina lying on the floor with her eyes closed and a strange dart on her neck, before she could even react, that same sort of dart stabbed her throat. Her sight became blurry, in a matter of seconds she lost control over body and fell on the ground, but before the world turned completely dark, she saw somebody coming towards her from the hallway up front.
A very deep female voice laughed and then said in a happy tone.
???: "HAHAHAHA FUCKING HELL! We makin' a fortune after tonight!"
***
The room revealed itself to Christina's eyes, she saw a bunch of people stacked up together in the main wagon, the people who attacked them were pointing their guns at the people and demanded their most valuable possessions.
She slowly lifted her head from the ground when she realized her hands and legs were tied up.
???: "HAHAHAHAHAHA And those motherfuckers from Nkrumah used to say 'Pirates ain't doing shit on the ground' wait until I tell them we captured two mages HAHAHA!" - The same voice from earlier spoke.
The pirate next to her was really stunned, he was sitting there like a statue, clearly afraid of her. She looked him in the eyes.
???: "Why so fucking serious, mate? Are ya telling me my joke ain't funny enough for ya?!"
The pirate: "No, captain, I jus-"
The woman pulled a dagger out of her belt and pointed it at his throat.
???: "Listen to me, ya little shit, if you want to live you are going to laugh at every joke that comes out of my mouth, understand?"
The pirate: "Hahahahahah!"
???: "Well that wasn't a joke, but you are doing a good job." - She glanced over one of the pirates. "HEY JOHNNY! COME OVER HERE!"
Johnny: "A-a-aye, Captain Nadoka?"
Christina: "So her name is Nadoka?" - She told herself.
Nadoka: "Well since you are the only bloody fucker from our crew who can read, I want you to take the list with the passengers' names and make sure everyone is here right now, don't want anyone running away. Meanwhile I'm going to have a little chat with the two princesses we have over here. P-princesses? Princesies? Eh whatever, I was never that good at common language anyway!"
The Captain got closer to Christina, her vision was still a bit blurry from the tranquilizer, but as Nadoka got closer, she was finally able to take a good look at her. Her skin was dark, her hair was short and tied up in dreadlocks, her clothes were made out of torn up leather and her left leg was replaced by a cannon.
Nadoka ran her fingers through Christina's hair and examined her eyes.
Nadoka: "Ahhh I recognize you! I saw your wanted poster a while ago, ya name is Christina Strider, am I right? And your friend over there is Alexandra Marrow? HAHAHAHAH Your heart is worth over 10,000 Rios!"
Christina: "So that's what you want, huh? Well I hate to bring it to you, but you are just like the rest of the bad men who tried to hunt me down and sell my heart on the black market. I believe we can end this peacefully, we will give you all of the money we have and you will leave us alone, deal?"
Nadoka: "HAHAHAHAHAHA I like you! You are really funny!"
Alexandra: "That wasn't a joke, or perhaps you are not smart enough to understand it?"
Nadoka: "Oh I know she wasn't joking, sweetheart, I just find it funny that she thinks we will be satisfied only with the miserable money you have. Nah, I'm not letting a deal like that slide!"
While Nadoka and the girls were talking, the rest of the pirates took all of the money and valuable possessions of the rest of the passengers and Johnny was carefully checking to see if everyone was there.
Johnny: "Captain, two people from the train are missing. A woman named Philippa and her baby, Yakon."
Nadoka: "A baby ey? Oh well, search the entire train for those fuckers, if they escape I will blow up ya bloody mouths!" - Nadoka pointed a gun at Johnny's mouth, he shivered in fear as she stared into his eyes. "Aye?"
Christina: "You can't do that to them!"
Nadoka: "Why not? Eh sure, I mean the baby will cry a little, but he will be fine. I was eating snakes when I was less than a year old and I turned out fine" - She said in a laid-back tone.
Christina: "You bitch!"
Nadoka: "You know, you are really starting to give me a headache with all that whining. MAKE HER SHUT UP!"
Nadoka violently pushed one of her men towards Christina, he reached out his hand to grab her head.
...
For just one second, Christina opened her mouth and a large pink flame came out of it, which engulfed the man. He began to row on the ground in pain and in a desperate attempt to extinguish the fire. While the rest of the crew were watching this in shock, Christina freed herself and Alexandra from the bindings around their arms, she snapped her fingers and the fire disappeared, the man was alive, but unconscious.
Nadoka: "I THOUGHT YA TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN'T USE MAGIC WITH THEIR ARMS TIED UP?!" - She squeezed Johnny's neck.
Johnny: "I-I-I I didn't know... t-that one of them can breathe fire, captain..."
Christina: "Alex, make sure the rest of the passengers are okay!"
Alexandra: "Wait, what? What about you?"
Christina: "I will take care of the captain..."
The pink flame surrounded Christina's hand, she charged at the direction of Nadoka, just as she was about to unleash that massive amount of fire inside her hand, Nadoka used her quick reflexes, grabbed Christina's arm, pointed it towards the ceiling and the massive wave of fire melted a large hole in it.
Nadoka: "HAHAHAHAHAHA IT LOOKS LIKE I'M ABOUT TO HAVE SOME AFTER ALL!"
As Nadoka was about to use her fist to punch Christina right in the face, but she dodged her attack by jumping on the rooftop of the train, the wind was violent and incredibly strong, due to the highspeed. Nadoka jumped on the rooftop as well, a bunch of weapons and rifles were strapped around her whole body, she grabbed the largest one and laughed maniacally.
Nadoka: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Are you ready for the gods to witness our glorious battle, princess?!"
Christina: "Why can't you just shut up already?"
***
The steps of the big pirate felt like bricks falling on the floor, Philippa squeezed her baby in order to protect him. As soon as the man stepped inside their cabin a very wide and evil smile appeared on his face.
"Now now, this just looks like another empty cabin, ahh what a shame!"
Philippa seemed to be relieved by his claims, it felt like she dodged a bullet... until the man spoke again.
"But it just looks like an empty cabin, am I right, woman?"
She screamed as a huge muscular arm grabbed her neck and pulled her from beneath the seats. The man opened his grip, the tears began to fall out of her eyes as fell on her knees, he looked at her sadistically and said calmly.
"Spread your legs..."
The poor woman knew she stood no chance against the giant man, so she obeyed. She placed Yakon, who was crying his heart out, on the seat next to them and took her top off, while the man just stood there and looked at her completely emotionless.
Philippa: "Please... don't do this to me, not in front of my son!"
"It is a cruel world, sweetheart." - He stroked her chin. "Your son is still young, he will probably forget about it. But you, however, I will make sure you never forget this..."
Philippa: "PLEASE DON'T!"
The man slapped her in the face. "I said... Spread. Your. Legs."
Alexandra: "Dice Roll."
A frozen dice was thrown on the ground, the man suddenly was in a completely different wagon and Philippa was no longer in front of him, instead he saw Alexandra's slander figure next to the exit, she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a shadow that covered her face.
"Ah you must be one of the mages we captured? Where are we?"
Alexandra: "In the last wagon, I hope you realize that what you were about to do is not going to go unpunished..."
"Then come as close as you like..."
A knife was drawn from his pocket, but he quickly dropped it when a blue ominous aura came out of Alexandra's body, all the machines and luggage froze almost instantaneously, while her hair flowed towards the ceiling and his blood was slowly freezing as well.
Alexandra: "Dice Roll!"
She threw the dice on the ground, it spinned a bit before landing on the number 4, then a frozen King of Diamonds card appeared in her hand.
"WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!"
Alexandra: "You really are out of luck, I feel bad for you, but then again... That's how gambling works. It's simply based on luck, those who do not have it, should not be allowed to play."
She placed the card on the ground, it illuminated the whole room in blue light, then a violent gust of frozen wind struck the man, the wall behind him was destroyed, he flew out of the wagon and fell somewhere next to the railway.
Alexandra: "That's judgement only a scum like you deserves..."
She returned back to Philippa and together they gathered all of the remaining passengers in the front wagon in order to protect them if anyone came.
***
Christina did her best at trying to avoid all those bullets flying towards her, her fists were surrounded by pink fire as she closed the distance between her and Nadoka, she hit her with a series of punches, of which only a few landed, causing mild burns on her skin. Nadoka grabbed the dagger strapped to her belt and used it to stab Christina in the shoulder, she grunted out of pain and anger, but she pulled the knife out of her, then threw it back at Nadoka, though she was quick enough to dodge it.
Nadoka: "It looks like you are more than a pretty face, ey?!"
Christina: "You bet."
Due to her short figure she was able to slide between Nadoka's legs and by Infusing some of her magical energy with the dagger, she controlled it midair and stabbed Nadoka in the elbow. Nodka didn't seem bothered by the damage, almost like she was enjoying this.
Nadoka: "HAHAHAHA That stings like a bitch! Not gonna lie, girl, I really didn't see that one coming! But don't get too cocky yet, the fight is not over!"
Christina: "Well that may be true, but with an injury like that, I highly doubt you will be able to use your right arm."
Nadoka: "You are being a smartass, aren't ya? I hate smartasses!"
Nadoka threw her entire body at Christina, wrestling her on the ground with one arm and still having the advantage, that just goes to show how much physical strength she has over the mage. Christina's head was leaning over the edge of the train's rooftop, looking at the fast moving train tracks beneath her, when Nadoka violently began to punch her in the face. The mage increased her body temperature to the point it was almost unbearable for Nadoka to even touch her, she released her grip, Christina saw that as an opportunity so they changed positions and now she was on top of Nadoka, before she could even land a hit the pirate spat right in Christina's eyes, then falling off the train and being catched by one of her subordinate's carriage.
Nadoka: "Hahahaha until we meet again, prickly princess!" - Nadoka smiled and waved at her before the carriage lost speed.
Christina: "That bitch!" - She brushed it off and went back inside to where the rest of the passengers were.
Nadoka: "Hehe don't think everything is over, princess, if I can't have my gold, NOBODY WILL! I still haven't used my strongest weapon against ya, mate!"
Nodoka lifted the cannon on her leg and loaded it with a cannonball and gunpowder, she closed one eye and aimed directly for the middle wagon, then she pulled the rope. The rest of the wagons separated one another, the passengers inside screamed in terror as they rolled on the ground multiple times, until eventually crashing into one of the trees.
Nadoka: "Hahahahaha Nadoka gets everything she wants, whenever she wants, don't ever forget that you bloody fucks!" - The rest of her crew caught up with her and ran away empty-handed.
Things went quiet, Christina wanted to make sure the pirates were far gone before melting a hole in the wall so that everyone inside could get out. The people were exhausted, some were heavily wounded from the crash, but luckily nobody died.
A heavily structured man approached the two mages and grabbed them by their shoulders, Alexandra looked at him terrified, with a slight blush across her face, but then his intimidating face turned into a warm smile.
"You two should be proud, if it wasn't for you, a lot of people would've died. So thank you!"
The crowd gathered around them and cheered them up, stressed out of their minds, but happy and grateful that they were still alive.
"But what are we going to do now?" - A woman asked from the crowd.
The Conductor: "The nearest town from here is Noreen, we were supposed to stop there for a break before heading straight for the capital, I think there might be a place we can stay."
Philippa: "Is there anywhere else we can go?"
The Conductor: "Afraid not, but don't worry Noreen is a pretty nice place."
Christina: "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" |
"And with that we have the sad news that the protests... Er, sorry. Riots in various cities across America with the recent election results. Reports verify that there have been muggings, vandalism and a large assortment of other crimes during these riots. Some riots have been far more peaceful such as the one in Portland but authorities' recommend-"
"Hey bartender! Can you change the channel?" The old man called out. But there was no reply. Glancing around, the old man comes to a startling revelation; no one else was in the bar. He just sat there, hunched over beer glass in hand and a solemn expression upon his face as though his only child had just died. "Fine, I'll just do it myself". The old man got up and observed the empty bar; empty glasses rested on the tables, a cigarette with smoke still emanating from its dying embers laid abandoned in the an ashtray, the bathroom door lay half open, as though everyone in the bar had just disappeared. It was late Tuesday night and so not uncommon for the bar to be near empty but the utter lack of anyone, even the bar tender whom had just served him his beer only a mere hour prior, stunned him. Hobbling over to the TV he used his old style wooden cane to press the power button, silencing the news broadcast. "Heh, much better" he said with a small smile.
Once again he hobbled back to his seat. "What's wrong old man? Miss me?" The voice came just as he was about to make contact with the barstool. He glanced over to the door, open it was. And out from the void came a sly looking man. He wore a business suit and hat, his eyes obscured by the rim around his hat.
"N-no. I was actually hoping you'd not show up". The old man said horrified. "Aw, well gee. I was rather looking forward to our talk". The Gentleman said with a sly smile. He slunk over the old man moving almost serpentine like. "So what's wrong? You look rather depressed old 'chap". The Gentleman took a seat next to the old man.
"Nothing really. At least nothing of your business".
"Come on now". The Gentleman said with that striking smile, leaning closer to the old man "If something is on your mind its best to tell others".
"I don't need advice from a snake like you!" The old man lashed out at him. But this rise in anger did not disturb the Gentleman, or even faze him. He just sat there and stared at him.
"Well" The gentleman reached over the bar top and grabbed for the nearest bottle of alcohol he could reach as well as a glass. "I was hoping to have a simple chat but if you're going to be like that then I guess some booze is in need" He poured himself a cup and held out the bottle. "Refill?" He motioned at how the old man had gone through about half of his alcohol prior to the Gentleman's arrival.
"No thanks, I don't take stolen goods."
"Oh please you and I both know that bartender isn't coming back" the Gentleman said with a small laugh.
"That's not funny and you know it."
"Aw come on old fart who cares about a little old human giving up on life?" He said with a swig of alcohol.
"I do."
"Oh sure ya do" The Gentleman said sarcastically "I'm sure all the starving children in Africa would agree with that sentiment". The old man bit his tongue to hold back the flurry of expletives he wanted to unleash on the Gentleman. The old man motioned to open his mouth, forming the words on his weary, crackled old lips and replied,
"You know how I feel about the situation in Africa and you know I would do something IF I could but-"
"You can't yeah yeah. Heard it a million times." The old man merely shook his head in frustration.
"Then what is it that you want?"
"To talk."
"Then leave there's nothing to talk about!"
"I disagree with that."
"Ok then let me rephrase it. THERE. IS. NOTHING. I. WANT. TO. TELL. YOU!"
"Sounds like bullshit" The gentleman said with a smile, drinking some of his alcohol. "You absolutely sure?"
The old man lamented for a moment. There were indeed a large amount of things on his mind. Even though he knew he had to get these out of his head he knew that he could not lose to the man beside him.
"Why should I tell you anything?"
"Because I'm your only friend?" The Gentleman said with a smile that could instill fear into weaker hearted people.
"You're far from my friend."
"Then acquaintance it is!"
"Not that either!"
"BFF?"
"Hell no."
"Oh the irony with that one!" The Gentleman began laughing almost manically.
"Are you drunk?"
"A bit tipsy but not full on drunk I'd say." The old man just responded to him with a look of pure disgust. "Hey now, no need for that look. I didn't look at you like that when I had to drag your ass back to your house that one night."
"That was a different time. I was young and naïve."
"Eh whatever." The Gentleman took off his business jacket revealing his plain white shirt underneath and threw it over into the nearby booth. "Sorry it gets so bloody hot in that thing."
"Eh whatever" The old man said mockingly.
"Well" The gentleman said rising from his seat and began walking backwards toward the TV "Seeing as you don't want to talk at all, I think I'll have a friendly chat with my good friend the Television".
"I'd rather you leave it off" The old man was watching the gentleman as he continued to walk backwards to the TV "And why are you walking backwards?"
"To practice for the role of Michael Jackson in a play" The gentleman called back to the old man, half laughing from his own sarcastic response.
"Yes yes, very funny joke." The old man took a swig of his alcohol.
"Goddamn old man does nothing make you laugh?" The gentleman said with a swerve of his heel as he grabbed the remote for the TV from behind the counter. With another flick of his heel he proceeded to march back to his seat. "So" the gentleman promptly jumped into his seat, eager to continue the discussion. "What's your favorite TV show?"
"I don't watch TV." The old man retorted bluntly.
"Oh come on" The gentleman put his arm on the old man's shoulder in a playful manner "Everyone has a favorite TV show."
"Good. Put it on yours." The gentleman scowled a bit before turning the seat towards the TV and resting his feet onto the seat adjacent of his.
"Hope you like cooking shows." He said with a small laugh, flipping through the channels before finally settling on a competition cooking show. "Hey this one's good. The main cook cusses out everyone who enters this competition."
"Who'd want to be on a show like that?"
"I dunno. Gluttons for punishment I guess?"
"Sounds stupid."
"Eh, maybe" The gentleman replied with a shrug before flipping through the channels again. "Oh hey, a documentary where they debunk creationism" He glanced over at the old man and continued with a grin "Bet you'll love this."
"Are you purposely antagonizing me?" The old man too another swig of alcohol, finishing his glass.
"Nah, just small talking with you."
"I'd rather you not. I just want to be left alone." The old man glanced down into his empty glass.
"Well, being alone is fine and all but why bottle everything up?" The gentleman poured more alcohol from the bottle into the old man's glass.
"Ugh, I just would rather keep to myself than talk about my problems." The old man scratched at his bald head in frustration.
"Look. You can't keep all your emotions bottled to yourself" He gave the old man a reassuring look, barely opening his sickly yellow eyes. "Tell you what, you have until I'm done with this bottle to decide if you're gonna talk, and I'm already half way done."
The old man took a long pause considering the words of the gentleman. The two knew each other well but while the old man had difficulties reading the Gentleman's motives the Gentleman could read the old man like a book. He thought about the positives, negatives and any other outcome talking with the Gentleman would have.
"Ugh." The old man made a bit of a grunt sound as he finally came to his decision. "Humanity worries me."
"Oh? Finally talking?" The Gentleman capped his alcohol and turned to the old man. "Very well. How do they worry you so?"
"Sometimes it seems like everything is a lose-lose situation for them. Whether it be due to their own choices or pure luck of the dice it's one thing after another, like violence and humanity just go hand and hand." The old man laid his head back as he lets his thoughts reach him. "It's terrifying really. No one can tell the future and I fear one day humanity may lead itself to its own destruction." The Gentleman sat there, listening to the old man discuss his thoughts. "Well that's a depressing outlook on humanity."
"You wanted my thoughts, there you go."
"Look" The Gentleman moved closer to the old man. "You need to give humanity more credit old fart. Human's while, capable of great evil and destruction are also capable of even greater creation and kindness than any God could ever do."
"Oh really? Name one thing humanity has done for the greater good."
"The atomic bombing of japan-"
"That was far from good."
"You need to let me finish" The Gentleman gave the old man a look that could melt the Artic. "After the U.S. nuked Japan, do you know what America did? They helped Japan rebuild and protected them from outside invaders."
"Yes after killing thousands of people and forcing a new form of government onto them."
"Ok then how about something more recent? The Haiti earthquake. Countries all across the globe came to Haiti's aid to help them recover from that catastrophe."
"OK! I get it."
"See? There ya go. Jesus Christ try and have some faith in your darling little creations will ya?" The old man shot him a quick glare. "Well, I hate to do this to you but I gotta get going. Nice talking with you old' chap." With that the Gentleman rose from his seat, grabbed his jacket and waved to the old man as he left.
And with the closing of the door the old man was left alone to his thoughts once more. |